A devastating fire erupted on Wednesday on the third floor of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Islamabad. Officials confirmed the tragic death of fourteen newborn babies.
The blaze began shortly before 7 a.m., rapidly consuming the maternity ward’s third floor, according to the district administration’s statement. Rescue services deployed six fire engines and four ambulances to the scene.
In front of the hospital, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a lawmaker from Islamabad, reported that the ward housed fifteen infants, four hospital staff, and several mothers when the fire started. Thankfully, doctors managed to save one newborn.
Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal revealed in a statement that an air conditioning unit explosion triggered the fire. The presence of oxygen cylinders contributed to the fire’s swift spread.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded an immediate investigation. His office’s statement emphasized the need to identify those responsible and enforce stringent accountability measures.
The World Bank indicates that Pakistan’s healthcare expenditure ranks among the lowest in South Asia. Following a new national budget approval in June, the country’s largest doctors’ association warned that the healthcare infrastructure faces “a state of systemic collapse due to structural neglect.”
The hospital, known as PIMS, offers over 150 maternity ward beds, as per its website. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan had a recent brief medical assessment at PIMS.
This heartbreaking event is one in a series of incidents involving children. In June, fourteen children perished when a tutoring center rooftop collapsed in Lahore, Punjab.
Zia ur-Rehman and Salman Masood contributed to reporting.