Former head of burn centre at Pims seeks inquiry into ‘facility’s deterioration’
ISLAMABAD: While the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is already under the spotlight following the deaths of 15 newborns in a recent fire incident, former head of the hospital’s burn care centre, Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal, has appealed to the federal health authorities to initiate a high-level inquiry into the alleged “complete collapse” of the specialised facility. In a letter addressed…
Islamabad, September 24th, 2026 - The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has drawn scrutiny after 15 newborn fatalities resulted from a recent fire incident. Former director of Pims' burn care centre, Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal, has urged federal health authorities to launch a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged "complete collapse" of the specialized facility.
In a letter to the health minister, Prof Iqbal contended that substantial structural and functional modifications were enacted following his retirement, which negatively impacted the centre's specialised burn patient services. Serving for 35 years at Pims, Prof Iqbal established the burn care centre in December 2007, inaugurated by the President of Pakistan.
The centre, a dedicated burn injury treatment hub, functioned for 17 years and functioned as a training ground for postgraduate burn surgery specialisation. However, Prof Iqbal claimed that post his retirement, the burn centre's name was altered to plastic and reconstructive surgery, and millions worth of specialised equipment was removed.
He further alleged that alterations were made to the centre's layout, converting patient-bed areas into offices, and that the postgraduate burn surgery training programme was discontinued, leading to the loss of specialised training opportunities. The former director stated that the facility was now primarily managed by house officers and highlighted the alarming high mortality and infection rates.
Prof Iqbal questioned the newly appointed burn centre head's experience, arguing that the individual did not meet the criteria set by the Federal Public Service Commission. He appealed for an independent investigation to determine the cause of changes and their impact on patient care and training. Currently, Prof Iqbal serves as an international adviser at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, UK.
He offered to provide further assistance to the authorities. A senior Ministry of National Health Services official confirmed receiving the letter but declined to comment on its contents, citing the matter's sensitivity.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
