AROUND 7 a.m. on 26th August a devastating fire broke out suddenly in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on third floor of the mother and child health ward and according to the Federal Health Minister fire was ignited after an explosion in an air conditioner and because of ample oxygen supply in the area fire quickly spread and engulfed the entire ward. The tragic incident took life of 15 new born babies who were kept in incubators. This fire incident is probably the ugliest and deadliest incident in any government hospital where health care is subsidised yet medical facilities are woefully under resourced and leave a lot to be desired.
CCTV camera footage available shows a completely gutted and ward with smoke rising from the area. There were 16 infants in the ward and only one of them managed to be rescued alive from the carnage. Parents of the victims were devastated and heartbroken one such mother was Javeria who lamented “It was a gynecology ward … there was no doctor, no nurse”, she said, adding that bodies of the children were taken away “in boxes” and women did not get chance to see them. It is not God’s will… I don’t accept it”, she said. The Federal health minister denied the accusations that no staff was present at the scene of tragedy. The Prime Minister ordered a high power investigation and the Federal Health secretary was immediately suspended. The building that housed the ward “had no fire security, no proper exits. All doors were closed, only one door was (open) for us to visit our children”, said Mudasir, who also lost his child.
There is no way to describe the tragedy and horror that these babies and their parents have suffered. Some high and mighty in the Govt. should be held accountable for this horror. All the adults in the area managed to save themselves but nothing was done or no attempt was made to save the innocent babies who were burnt alive because of sheer negligence of the medical staff. The Govt. has announced a cash award of 5 million for the victim but no amount of money can wash away the grief of affected parents.
There are no word to describe this horrible tragedy and the heart just falters at sheer size and scale of this tragic incident people across the country are numb and shell shocked and still trying to understand how an incident of this magnitude was allowed to happen and who should be held responsible for such negligence. Multiple explanations have been offered for the fire: a short circuit, a spark, or an explosion involving an air-conditioning unit or its compressor. And every aspect of this incident unveils a new tragedy. According to hospital sources the purified oxygen that was being used to help the infants breath better inflamed the fire greatly and within minutes the blazing inferno claimed the lives of 15 infants. Eyewitnesses and parents described chaos: thick black smoke, shattered glass, locked or restricted doors, delayed rescue, and a near-total absence of proper evacuation protocols or functional fire-safety equipment. Some parents said they waited hours for help; official statements insisted fire tenders arrived within minutes of the emergency call. Rescue workers reported difficulty reaching the affected area.
According to some hospital staff there had been cases of stolen babies from the ward and consequently the ward was kept securely locked to prevent the loss of infants and obviously there was no contingency plan for any fire emergency and no exercise had ever been held to prepare for such an eventuality and this itself is ample proof of sheer neglect and irresponsibility of hospital management. Immediately after the tragedy a blame game started in earnest with all concerned pointing fingers at others and in a knee jerk reaction the Prime Minister suspended the Federal Health Secretary who has now become the scapegoat but is he really responsible for this gruesome incident? Individuals are responsible yet entire system appears to be broken and shattered.
A high powered committee has been formed and one can only hope that this committee will get to the bottom of this ugly affair and pin point reasons for this state of affairs in a government managed medical facility in the federal capital. Just suspending or even firing some officials will not prevent another tragedy from happening. PIMS is the largest and most prominent public hospital in the federal capital. It is the place where ordinary Pakistanis turn to in sickness, injury and the hope of new life. Public hospitals in a country as populous as Pakistan need sustained resources and consistent support if they are to deliver even a basic standard of care and safety. Whether this hospital ever received that support is a question that its administrators should be expected to answer? It is no secret that investment in health care in the country is extremely low and safety standards and quality of service will not improve and tragedies like the PIMS fire will continue to haunt us in future.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad
