ISLAMABAD, Aug 31, 2026: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Monday reviewed in detail the inquiry report into the tragic fire incident at the nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
The meeting was held in Committee Room No 5 at Parliament House, where members raised several questions over the report and expressed serious reservations about the actual cause of the fire, fixation of responsibility, fire safety arrangements at the hospital, staff deployment, emergency response capacity and implementation of relevant standard operating procedures.
The committee observed that the exact source and cause of the fire had still not been conclusively determined. The chairman said CCTV footage from inside the nursery was vital for establishing responsibility, as it could show the situation inside the ward at the time of the incident and the steps taken by staff after the fire broke out.
He questioned whether any staff member was present inside the nursery when the incident occurred. According to the available information, only three nurses were seen outside the nursery, while it remained unclear who was present inside at that time. The committee stressed the need for a complete explanation and sought the relevant CCTV record.
The committee also expressed dissatisfaction over the statement of the former executive director of Pims that the fire had been caused by a compressor explosion. Members asked what basis existed for declaring the compressor as the cause when the exact origin of the fire had not yet been established.
The meeting also reviewed issues relating to biomedical engineers, the HVAC system and technical and maintenance arrangements at the hospital. The committee voiced concern over reports that the HVAC system was not functioning properly and asked why the relevant technical staff had not ensured timely inspection and maintenance of equipment and systems.
Members expressed grave concern over fire safety and emergency response arrangements, particularly in the nursery for newborn babies. They asked whether regular fire drills were conducted at the hospital and whether staff posted in highly sensitive areas such as the nursery had been trained to respond immediately and effectively in case of a fire.
The committee noted that an effective and functional fire safety system was a basic requirement for any hospital. Members questioned whether proper and operational arrangements for fire alarms, fire detection, firefighting equipment and emergency response were available in the Pims nursery and other sensitive departments.
The committee also sought clarification on shortage of staff and recruitment, asking whether critical and sensitive units had the required number of personnel.
The role of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) also came under discussion during the meeting. The committee observed that ensuring compliance with necessary fire safety precautions and SOPs was the responsibility of the relevant regulatory bodies, but effective implementation of the required safety measures did not appear to have been ensured in this case.
The committee further noted with concern that a sub-committee of the standing committee had previously made recommendations regarding fire safety and protective measures, but the ministry had not fully implemented them.
The chairman of the standing committee made it clear that there should be no point-scoring over the tragic incident. He said it was not an issue of one institution or individual but a national matter, and the nation was grieved over the tragedy. He said the loss of innocent newborn lives was deeply painful, adding that the purpose was not to blame anyone unnecessarily but to bring facts to light, determine responsibility and prevent such incidents in future.
He said the incident should be treated as a wake-up call for hospitals across the country. He underlined the need to ensure complete and functional fire safety systems, trained staff, regular fire drills, proper HVAC and electrical systems, timely technical inspections and strict implementation of safety SOPs in all hospitals, especially in neonatal units.
The committee decided to obtain further information and evidence regarding the actual source of the fire, CCTV footage, staff deployment in the nursery, fire safety arrangements, fire drills, HVAC system, biomedical engineering inspections, staff availability, implementation of safety measures by IHRA and compliance with previous recommendations of the standing committee.
The standing committee resolved that responsibility would be fixed on the basis of facts and evidence, and effective steps would be ensured to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
