Islamabad: Days after 14 newborns were killed in a fire at PIMS, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has decided to make fire safety training compulsory for house officers at all medical and dental colleges.
PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said the training would become a mandatory part of the house job. Dedicated training hours would cover fire safety awareness, emergency drills, patient protection and safe evacuation procedures.
All medical and dental colleges and teaching hospitals will be required to strengthen fire prevention arrangements and emergency preparedness to protect students, house officers, patients, healthcare professionals and other staff.
The institutions will also conduct regular fire drills and evacuation exercises to develop a culture of preparedness and ensure a prompt and effective response during emergencies.
House officers will be trained to identify potential fire hazards, use fire extinguishers, follow designated evacuation routes and communicate effectively during an emergency.
The council said implementation of the programme would be preceded by a comprehensive review of existing fire safety protocols to identify weaknesses requiring immediate improvement.
The PMDC acknowledged that fire safety education and awareness needed to be strengthened at institutions operating under its regulatory framework. It said gaps in emergency preparedness would be addressed on a priority basis.
Prof Taj said hospitals cared for some of the most vulnerable people, who depended on healthcare workers to respond quickly and effectively during a fire.
He urged medical institutions to improve their existing fire prevention and emergency response arrangements instead of relying entirely on specialised emergency response teams.
The PMDC did not directly refer to the PIMS tragedy in its statement, but the decision comes amid renewed scrutiny of fire prevention and evacuation arrangements at healthcare facilities.
Prof Taj said the council also intended to extend the training programme to medical students, postgraduate trainees and eventually all healthcare professionals, describing fire safety as an essential skill for healthcare workers worldwide.
He said the council wanted medical institutions to provide safe, high-quality learning environments and establish protocols centred on preparedness, prevention and timely evacuation.