A fresh inquiry into the devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has revealed that a similar fire had broken out at the hospital’s nursing hostel just weeks before the deadly nursery incident, raising serious questions about fire safety, security and the implementation of previous recommendations.
According to the inquiry report, the earlier fire occurred at around 3am on July 6 at the reception area of the PIMS nursing hostel. The blaze damaged three sofa sets in the lobby, while 78 female students who were present inside the hostel at the time remained safe.
Although no deaths or injuries were reported in the July incident, the inquiry uncovered several serious shortcomings in the hostel’s safety and security arrangements.
Earlier Fire Raised Safety Concerns
The inquiry committee investigated the circumstances surrounding the July fire but was unable to establish its exact cause. The report stated that no electrical or forensic findings were available to determine what triggered the blaze.
However, investigators identified a number of administrative and security failures at the facility.
According to the report, security guards Wajid Mahmood and Shaukat Mahmood were absent from their assigned posts during duty hours. The inquiry also held hostel warden Zainab Sahar responsible for failing to maintain the required records and follow standard operating procedures.
The committee recommended departmental action against the hostel warden and security personnel following the incident.
The findings have gained renewed importance after the much more serious fire that later struck the PIMS Mother and Child Healthcare Centre.
Hostel Lacked Basic Fire Safety Measures
The inquiry report highlighted the absence of several basic safety arrangements that would normally be expected at a facility housing dozens of students.
The nursing hostel reportedly did not have a proper emergency response plan. Investigators also found that fire alarms and CCTV cameras were not installed, leaving the facility without important tools for early detection, monitoring and emergency response.
The absence of these systems meant that the hostel was potentially vulnerable to another fire or other emergency.
Investigators also discovered that men were residing inside the female hostel without permission, adding another layer of concern regarding security and supervision at the facility.
The findings suggest that the problems were not limited to a single incident but involved broader shortcomings in the management and monitoring of the hostel.
Previous Recommendations Not Fully Implemented
One of the most concerning aspects of the inquiry is that recommendations made after the July fire were reportedly not properly implemented.
The committee had recommended departmental action against the hostel warden and security staff. However, despite the suspension of some lower-level employees, the recommendations were not fully carried out.
The failure to implement the earlier recommendations has raised questions about whether adequate action could have prevented or reduced the risks associated with subsequent incidents at PIMS.
The latest revelations are likely to place additional pressure on hospital authorities and relevant government departments to explain how earlier safety concerns were handled.
Deadly PIMS Nursery Fire
The new findings come just days after a devastating fire erupted at the PIMS Mother and Child Healthcare Centre in Islamabad.
The nursery fire broke out at around 7am on August 26 on the third floor of the hospital facility. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least 15 newborns, according to reports.
Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the hospital and launched an emergency evacuation operation. Nineteen people were reportedly evacuated from the affected area, while firefighters brought the blaze under control and carried out cooling operations.
The exact cause of the deadly fire has not yet been conclusively established. Initial information suggested that the blaze may have been linked to an explosion or malfunction involving an air-conditioning compressor, although investigators are expected to examine all possible causes.
PIMS officials have said the incident will be investigated from all angles.
Government Orders High-Level Investigation
Following the deaths of the newborns, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident and took immediate administrative action.
Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri was suspended and removed from his position following the prime minister’s orders.
A high-level inquiry committee was also constituted to determine the circumstances surrounding the fire and examine whether negligence, administrative failures or shortcomings in safety arrangements contributed to the tragedy.
Former Interior Secretary Shahid Khan was appointed to head the committee, while Establishment Secretary Dr Barrister Naveel Awan was also included as a member.
The latest discovery of the earlier nursing hostel fire is expected to become an important part of the broader scrutiny of safety arrangements at PIMS.
Questions Over Hospital Safety
The July hostel fire and the August nursery tragedy have placed PIMS’s fire safety arrangements under increased scrutiny.
While the two incidents occurred at different locations and their causes have not been established as being connected, the earlier inquiry’s findings raise concerns about the implementation of safety recommendations and the availability of emergency systems at the hospital.
The absence of fire alarms, CCTV cameras and an emergency plan at the nursing hostel, combined with reported security lapses, has prompted questions over whether similar shortcomings existed elsewhere within the hospital complex.
Authorities are now expected to examine safety arrangements across PIMS more closely and determine whether previous warnings were ignored or inadequately addressed.
The investigation into the nursery fire will ultimately have to establish the exact cause of the blaze, determine whether any safety protocols were violated and identify those responsible if negligence is found.
For the families who lost newborns in the tragedy, however, the discovery of an earlier fire and unresolved safety concerns has added another troubling dimension to an already devastating incident.
