A massive fire tore through the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Wednesday, forcing the emergency evacuation of patients and leaving the capital’s largest public hospital in chaos. Smoke billowed from the facility’s upper floors, marking the second such incident within weeks.
The blaze broke out in a storage area before quickly spreading through ventilation shafts. Staff scrambled to move patients from critical care units to safer wards while sirens wailed across the Islamabad campus. For many, the sight was all too familiar. A smaller fire occurred in the same block just weeks ago, yet the hospital’s response—and the subsequent safety audit—clearly failed to prevent a repeat.
Hospital administrators have kept quiet about why the previous fire didn’t trigger a total overhaul of the building’s aging electrical grid. Maintenance logs are now under scrutiny. Sources within the facility suggest that short circuits in outdated wiring were the primary culprit in both incidents, pointing to a systemic neglect of basic fire safety standards.
“We were told after the first fire that the wiring would be inspected,” one senior nurse said, requesting anonymity due to fear of reprisal. “Instead, we just saw some quick patches. Today, we nearly lost patients because of it.”
The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered an inquiry, but for the families of those treated at PIMS, the damage is already done. The facility, which serves thousands of patients from across the country daily, lacks a modern, integrated fire suppression system. Smoke detectors in the affected wing were either non-functional or poorly placed, leaving staff to rely on manual warnings.
The hospital remains partially operational, but the trauma of the evacuation has left the staff stretched thin. As investigators comb through the charred remains of the storage unit, the question remains: how many more “near misses” will it take before the government funds a complete safety upgrade for the capital’s flagship hospital?
For now, the wards are quiet, but the fear of a third spark keeps everyone on edge.
