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8 officials suspended after Islamabad hospital fire
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the suspension of eight officials and criminal proceedings against those responsible for a fire at Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences that killed 14 newborns.
- An investigative committee found the nursery lacked fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and proper emergency training, with supervisory staff absent when the fire began.
- Emergency services were delayed, arriving 15 minutes after the call, and only two of the hospital’s 13 standard operating procedures addressed fire emergencies.
- Sharif approved a state award for a nurse who risked her life to save a baby during the fire and dismissed the Health Secretary following the incident.
- The tragedy has sparked public outrage and prompted nationwide reviews of fire safety measures in hospitals, including an immediate inspection order in Punjab province.
