MPs demand resignations of health minister, PIMS’ ED

ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations have demanded that the Executive Director (ED) of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the health minister resign on moral grounds. The committee members especially from Pakistan People Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) during their visit to the PIMS, which was led by standing committee chairperson Mahesh Kumar Malani have expressed dissatisfaction over the conflicting statements of the PIMS staff over the firing incident, which left 14 infants dead. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on the other day had attributed Wednesday’s incident to a spark in the air conditioner. Committee chairman Malani, while talking to the media, said that committee members have to see whether the fire was the result of negligence or a natural cause, adding that apparently it was a result of a technical fault. Malani told reporters that the standing committee members have sought answers from the hospital administration on certain questions. “We are calling a committee meeting and will look at the issue on the grounds of merit, ” he said, adding that the committee would also study the findings to be presented by a separate inquiry committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz within 24-48 hours. Malani added that the source of the fire had yet to be ascertained. He said that discussions with the relevant staff of the PIMS indicated that it might be a result of a spark caused by an old air conditioner, which was not working for some time. He said one of the doctors had stated that a spark was caused by a bundle of wires, while the nurses said it all happened suddenly. So no one saw where the spark came from; therefore, the committee members concluded that no one knows the source of the fire. He recalled it was earlier stated that the presence of oxygen caused the fire to spread, adding that there might have been a fault in the oxygen pipes. “However, one thing is final, no one knows the source of the fire, ” he reiterated, adding that the hospital’s executive director also agreed that the spark had not originated from the air conditioner. He noted that the nursery where the incident took place was built in 1990 and stressed that there should not have been a nursery in the old building, particularly when there was a newly built block available on the premises. The nursery was not fit for the babies. This was supposed to be a gynae ward, and the babies should have been kept in the new block, which was well-equipped, he said. Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) MNA Gul Asghar Khan said the members also questioned PIMS administration on how often fire drills are carried out in the hospital and when the last drill was conducted. He further said that the committee had also sought information on PIMS’ last fire audit as well as human errors which may have led to the incident. PPP MNA Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro added that the committee had also requested information on the functionality of fire alarms at the hospital. Taking note of the conflicting statements by the PIMS’ relevant staff, she said either there was no one on duty, or those on duty were not present at their seats and were somewhere outside. Responding to a question, Malani said that technical experts should also be consulted in determining the cause of the fire. He, too, took note of the conflicting accounts by the staff, saying that the gynae head told the committee members that there was a bundle of wires in the ward, while someone indicated there may have been an oxygen cylinder that exploded. He questioned the claims of the staff: “How could an oxygen cylinder have exploded when there weren’t any? ” So, the source of the fire was not yet known, he said. Malani said the committee would examine “whether the right person was appointed for the right job” to ascertain any technical faults. Committee member Farakh Khan also spoke on the occasion and raised concerns about whether the nursery had undergone any maintenance over the years. “If any maintenance had been carried out, why was an old air conditioner still installed in the room and why was the wiring left exposed? ” she questioned, adding that if the administration could not manage the nursery, “they should finish it off”. Malani then said the committee had sought information on the budget of PIMS’ Mother and Child Health Care Centre, and details about “how much of it was utilised”. He said details about the number of times the oxygen and electricity systems were examined had specifically been sought. JUI MNA Aliya Kamran said when the committee members spoke to the nurses, “it appeared as if they had been told what to say. ” She said the staff had left the infants unattended as the fire broke out. “We are also not satisfied with the account the doctor on duty gave us, ” she added. She claimed there was a “deliberate attempt” to push the narrative that the blaze had originated from the air conditioner. Kamran said that the NA committee would call the hospital administration and “question them within our capacity and present a fair opinion”. Echoing her fellows’ remarks, Kamran demanded that the health minister resign. “The inquiry team will not be able to maintain transparency if he is in power, ” she said and demanded that the on-duty staff be suspended and their medical licences be revoked. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of PIMS, while refusing to resign on moral grounds, has constituted a four-member committee headed by Professor Dr Atif Inam to investigate the fire incident, directing the committee to submit its report within 48 hours. According to the notification, the committee will review the actual cause of the fire and the fire safety measures in place. The effectiveness and response time of the rescue operation will also be evaluated, and strict action will be recommended after identifying those responsible for the incident. Dr Aneeza Jaleel, Deputy Executive Director of PIMS administration, is also a member of the committee. Dr Aneeza recorded her statement before the committee formed by the Prime Minister earlier Thursday and personally signed the notification for the PIMS investigation committee. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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