LAHORE – After tragic fire at PIMS Nursery in Islamabad which claimed lives of 14 new born babies, the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has issued urgent directions for the effective implementation of fire safety measures in public and private hospitals across Punjab.
The Commission has called upon both the health departments, the Punjab Emergency Services Department and hospital managements to take immediate action to safeguard patients, attendants, healthcare workers and hospital infrastructure from fire and other non-fire emergencies.
The PHC has emphasised that hospital managements must establish comprehensive arrangements for responding to fire and non-fire emergencies, including trained personnel, regular emergency drills, functional equipment and adequate resources. These measures are vital for enabling a prompt and effective response during emergencies and for protecting human lives.
In continuation of its earlier directives, the PHC has reiterated that all public and private hospitals must ensure full compliance with the prescribed standards under the minimum service delivery standards (MSDS), including the Facility Management System (FMS) and Hospital Infection Control (HIC) requirements.
Hospitals have been directed to establish an emergency coding system, including Code Red for fire incidents, maintain functional fire-fighting equipment, train staff, conduct regular emergency drills, develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs), display emergency exit maps and obtain the required building safety and fitness certificates.
The PHC has requested the Punjab Emergency Services Department to inspect hospitals under Section 3(3) of the Punjab Community Safety Act, 2021 and the Punjab Community Safety Buildings Regulations, 2022.
Under the applicable legal framework, the District Emergency Officers are authorised to inspect buildings, including hospitals, verify the installation and availability of fire safety arrangements, and issue a safety certificate valid for one year where the prescribed legal and regulatory requirements have been met.
The Commission has further urged that fire safety audits of all public- and private-sector hospitals be completed without delay.
Hospitals found non-compliant with applicable laws, rules, regulations or bylaws should be issued inspection reports containing recommendations for improvement, while the details of such institutions should be shared with the PHC.
The Punjab Emergency Services Department has also been asked to provide details of inspections conducted over the past three years, along with a list of hospitals which have failed to comply with the requisite statutory requirements.
The Commission will continue to coordinate with relevant institutions and monitor compliance to promote safe, quality and dignified healthcare services for patients.
