Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered criminal proceedings against hospital management following a fire that broke out in the neonatal unit of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. The blaze, which triggered a frantic evacuation of newborns, has sparked outrage over the standard of safety protocols at the capital’s flagship public hospital.
The Prime Minister’s directive comes after reports indicated that the fire began due to a short circuit in the unit’s electrical system. While emergency responders managed to move the infants to safety, the incident has left the facility’s infrastructure under intense scrutiny.
“Negligence resulting in such a life-threatening situation will not be tolerated,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement. He has directed the health ministry to conduct a comprehensive audit of all electrical and fire-safety systems across the hospital to prevent a repeat of the incident.
For parents and patients, the fire is a grim reminder of the systemic decay in public health facilities. PIMS is the primary referral hospital for the federal capital and surrounding areas, yet it has frequently faced criticism for its aging equipment and inconsistent maintenance.
Health officials have launched an internal inquiry to identify who was on duty at the time of the incident and whether routine safety checks were performed. Preliminary findings suggest that the hospital’s fire suppression systems were either outdated or failed to trigger immediately when the smoke began to fill the ward.
This incident is not an isolated case. Public hospitals across Pakistan have struggled with frequent power surges and aging wiring, often leading to localized fires that disrupt critical care. The government now faces pressure to move beyond punitive measures and address the fundamental lack of funding for hospital maintenance.
Investigators are expected to submit a final report within 48 hours. Whether this leads to genuine systemic reform or remains a temporary reaction to public pressure is a question that will define the government’s approach to healthcare safety in the coming months.
