Pakistan offers Rs5 million compensation to PIMS fire victims' families

Pakistan's government has announced Rs5 million, about $18,000, in compensation for each family of the 14 newborn babies who died in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. Criticism is mounting over hospital safety and how the emergency was handled.

How much compensation has Pakistan announced for PIMS fire victims?

The federal government has announced Rs5 million in compensation for each family of the 14 newborns who died in the PIMS fire. The Ministry of Information said the government shares the grief of affected families and would provide all possible assistance. It added that financial compensation can never replace the lives lost, but is meant to ease the families' hardship.

What caused the PIMS hospital fire?

The fire broke out Wednesday on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital's ward. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said it was caused by a "blast in the air conditioner," though authorities have not established the exact cause. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed the federal health secretary shortly after the incident and ordered an inquiry.

What safety failures are under scrutiny at PIMS?

Senior doctors are questioning whether the fire could have been prevented through better planning, electrical safety and building inspections. One doctor, speaking anonymously, said responsibility could fall on the electromedical department if flame-proof electrical fittings were not used in the nursery, depending on its approved scope of work. The doctor said the inquiry should examine the authorization, planning and safety clearance process behind the decision to move patients to the building during renovations.

Another doctor said a deputy director of engineering was responsible for overseeing the hospital's buildings and electrical installations. The inquiry should establish whether the electrical infrastructure, wiring standards and safety certification were verified before patients were moved there, the doctor said. "Responsibility should not be placed solely on the clinical or administrative staff," he said.

Why were the emergency exits closed during the fire?

PIMS administration said emergency doors were kept closed to prevent babies and equipment from being stolen. Former Punjab health minister Dr. Javed Akram criticized the policy, saying the hospital should have used CCTV cameras and guards instead. "It is a hospital not a jail. I headed the PIMS hospital for seven years, but not a single baby was stolen," he said.

Akram said global tagging and GPS-based wristbands were used previously to prevent babies from being lost or exchanged. He added that PIMS once had fire drills and a patient safety department, both of which had since become "dysfunctional." Witnesses said they waited hours for emergency services, smashed windows to reach the neonatal intensive care unit and encountered locked doors, accounts that authorities have disputed.

How have officials and civil society responded to the fire?

Former Pakistan Medical Association secretary general Dr. Qaiser Sajjad urged the government to prioritize upgrading existing hospitals over launching new health projects for a year. He also called on senior officials to use public hospitals for their own treatment, saying it is unfortunate that officials seek care abroad while ordinary people are dying in hospitals. Pakistan Peoples Party lawmakers submitted multiple calling attention notices in the National Assembly on Thursday, seeking an investigation and debate.

The Pakistan Society of Emergency Medicine called for a transparent, systems-based review focused on improving patient safety across health facilities. Civil society activists, including Shafique Chaudhry of the Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights and Sadia Bokhari of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, demanded the immediate suspension of concerned senior administrative staff at a news conference in Islamabad. They also called for comprehensive hospital safety protocols and emergency response training for staff.

How is PIMS managing patients after the fire?

PIMS has temporarily arranged to refer some serious gynecological cases to Polyclinic and other hospitals in Rawalpindi while the damaged nursery is repaired. A senior gynecologist said the hospital has no refusal policy and accepts all cases, but decided to refer very serious cases elsewhere given the nursery damage. She said three or four deliveries at PIMS on Thursday could be considered serious, while noting other facilities could not absorb every case if all were referred out.

Newly appointed Health Secretary Capt. (retd.) Muhammad Mehmood said he has begun introducing new technology to address the hospital's problems. "The infrastructure should be as per international levels and governance should also be improved," he said, adding that he plans to run the ministry from PIMS to better understand its problems.

What steps are being taken to prevent future hospital fires?

The Punjab Healthcare Commission issued urgent directives on Thursday for public and private hospitals to implement fire safety measures. It directed health departments, the Punjab Emergency Services Department and hospital managements to ensure comprehensive arrangements for responding to fire and other emergencies. The directive follows growing pressure for systemic safety reforms across Pakistan's hospital network in the wake of the PIMS fire.