SLAMABAD: An initial inquiry into the fire that killed 14 children at the nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has found that the hospital’s fire and medical safety arrangements fell short of international standards, sources said on Friday.
The report, prepared by an inquiry committee headed by former interior secretary Shahid Khan, has been submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif through the office of his adviser Tauqeer Shah.
The report has been signed by all members of the committee and is now with the prime minister, who has the authority to make its findings public.
According to sources, the inquiry has recommended strict legal and administrative action against officials and staff members found responsible for negligence.
The committee examined statements from the hospital administration and doctors, as well as accounts provided by firefighters and rescue teams. It also reviewed the difficulties faced by emergency responders during the incident.
The inquiry concluded that PIMS lacked adequate medical and fire-safety facilities and that its existing safety arrangements did not conform to international standards.
It also recommended disciplinary action against staff members who were found absent from their duties when the fire broke out.
The findings come after a separate report by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), which had pointed to serious safety lapses at the hospital. The CDA report said an emergency fire exit had been kept permanently locked and alleged that security personnel initially obstructed the fire brigade’s efforts to reach the affected area.
Conflicting accounts
The circumstances surrounding the fire and the emergency response have been the subject of conflicting accounts by officials and eyewitnesses.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the fire may have been triggered by a spark from an air conditioner at around 6:38am. Video footage, however, showed people beginning to evacuate the ward at about 6:39am.
The minister said 14 children in the ward were on oxygen, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. He also acknowledged that the hospital did not have an automatic sprinkler system and said 26 fire extinguishers were used to bring the blaze under control.
Mr Kamal maintained that authorities had taken steps to comply with safety-related notices issued to the hospital.
PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar rejected the allegation that the relevant door had been locked. He said access to one door had been restricted following previous incidents involving the theft of children, but insisted that the door had not been locked.
Questions have also been raised about the response time of emergency services and the identification and handover of the victims’ remains.
Khurram Mahmood, whose three-day-old daughter died in the fire, told AFP that rescue workers took several hours to arrive and that victims were left waiting for assistance on the road.
Another eyewitness, Abdul Ghafoor, said the ward was filled with heavy smoke and claimed that rescue teams arrived nearly two hours after the fire started.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry disputed the claims, saying rescue teams reached the hospital within six minutes of receiving the emergency alert.
Mr Chaudhry also said the remains of all 14 children were handed over to their families only after their identities had been verified through wrist identification bands, medical records and available forensic procedures.
He said the inquiry would also examine why emergency exits were closed and assess the conduct of staff members who were on duty when the fire broke out.
