ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has called an emergency meeting in Islamabad over the tragic incident of the deaths of newborn babies in PIMS hospital, Islamabad.
The emergency meeting has summoned officials from the Ministry of Health, PIMS Hospital administration, district administration, police, fire brigade and other relevant institutions. The meeting will review in detail the causes of the fire incident at the PIMS nursery, rescue operations and safety arrangements.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has already taken notice of the incident and ordered an immediate investigation. The Prime Minister has directed that the motives of the fire be determined and those responsible for any negligence or omission in the incident be identified and action taken against them.
The Prime Minister has also directed Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal to immediately reach Islamabad so that he can reach PIMS Hospital and personally assess the situation and submit a report to the Prime Minister regarding the incident and the measures being taken in the hospital.
The emergency meeting will also review how the fire broke out in the nursery, how quickly the fire spread, how effective the fire safety arrangements were and what steps were taken by the hospital administration to deal with the emergency situation.
Expressing heartfelt sympathy to the parents and families of the deceased children, the Prime Minister said that the loss of lives of newborn children is a very sad and irreparable tragedy. He has made it clear that the real facts will be brought to light through investigation and strict action will be taken against those responsible if negligence is proven.
It should be noted that Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has initially stated that the fire spread rapidly and got out of control due to the presence of oxygen in the children’s ward. According to him, a committee has also been formed to conduct a complete investigation into the incident, while the process of taking DNA samples of the children and their parents will also be carried out to identify the deceased children.
The emergency meeting called by the Prime Minister is now expected to review all aspects of the incident and take important decisions regarding the future course of action and determination of responsibility.
