PIMS executive director, 7 others suspended as PM orders criminal proceedings over neonatal ward fire
Inquiry finds PIMS lacked detailed fire emergency SOPs, training, and sprinkler system in the neonatal ward
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has suspended eight individuals, including PIMS Executive Director Prof Dr Imran Sikandar, following an inquiry into the neonatal ward fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) that killed 14 newborns. The prime minister ordered criminal proceedings against those found responsible for criminal negligence, ensuring exemplary punishment to prevent future incidents caused by criminal negligence.
CCTV footage showed that the fire spread within two minutes of breaking out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital ward. The inquiry committee found that PIMS lacked detailed SOPs and training for emergencies, and the neonatal ward violated WHO safety rules. The emergency response was delayed by 15 minutes, and a fire had previously occurred at the hospital's nursing hostel just a month before the tragedy.
Written by urgent.news from The Express Tribune - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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