PIMS fire death toll rises to 15 as lone surviving newborn dies; PM sets safety deadline

The only baby to come out alive from the 26 August nursery fire at PIMS in Islamabad has died, taking the death toll to 15 newborns. Hospital sources confirmed the death late on Wednesday, 16 September, ProPakistani reports. The girl had been on a ventilator in intensive care since the fire.

How the lone survivor died

• She was rescued by nurse Razia Noreen, who told The Washington Post she got the baby out within seconds (as quoted by ProPakistani).
• She was treated at PIMS for three weeks, on ventilator support, for complications of smoke inhalation.
• Aaj News, citing her death certificate, reports sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and bleeding in the lungs, ending in cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Her death came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Wednesday, 16 September, gave the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) three months to put in place the short-term fixes recommended by the inquiry into the fire.

What happened at PIMS

The fire broke out on 26 August in the nursery of the PIMS Mother and Child Hospital. Fourteen of the 15 babies inside died that morning. The government later announced a Rs 10 million award for nurse Razia Noreen for saving the one child who survived the blaze.

A five-member committee headed by former federal secretary Shahid Khan investigated. Its 43-page report found "systemic and institutional failures" and said the most likely source of the fire was an electrical fault in the supply cable of an air-conditioning unit.

What the inquiry found

• Smoke was visible at 6:38am and filled the nursery within one to two minutes, but emergency services were only alerted at 6:54am, a 16-minute gap.
• A performance audit of PIMS found just 39.7% compliance against a 90% target on the indicators checked.
• The report said PIMS and its senior management bear the main institutional responsibility for failing to act on known risks and earlier warnings, including a previous fire at a nursing hostel.
• Criminal responsibility is to be decided separately. Eight senior officers were suspended and disciplinary proceedings started.
• 37 measures have been identified for immediate implementation.

What the prime minister ordered

At a meeting attended by federal ministers including Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attaullah Tarar and Mustafa Kamal, the PM directed that:

• All short-term recommendations be completed within three months, with fire safety brought up to international standards.
• PIMS take advice from the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) on its fire safety system.
• Patients continue to get medicines and facilities free of charge.
• Polyclinic Hospital be audited and a restructuring plan prepared.
• The Capital Development Authority (CDA) enforce fire safety in all government and private hospitals in Islamabad.
• Qualified staff be deployed and a long-term improvement plan be drawn up.

What it means for patients in Islamabad

PIMS is the capital's largest public hospital and takes referrals from Rawalpindi, northern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The three-month deadline runs to about mid-December 2026, so work on wiring, alarms and evacuation plans should be visible on the wards before winter, when heaters add to the electrical load.

The CDA order also reaches private hospitals and clinics in Islamabad, which can expect fire safety inspections.

If you have a child admitted anywhere, it is reasonable to ask staff where the nearest fire exit is and whether the ward has working smoke alarms. Report exposed wiring or sparking sockets to the ward in charge in writing.

What happens next

The Health Ministry and PIMS management now have to show progress on the 37 immediate measures, while the question of criminal liability is taken up separately. Long-term recommendations include professional hospital management, tighter regulatory oversight and independent checks on safety systems.

Also on our health desk this week: Punjab recalled substandard Mecodax injection and cetirizine batches.