Pakistan will award nurse for saving the sole newborn survivor of a hospital fire

Key Points:

• Razia Noreen, a Pakistani nurse, will receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat, one of Pakistan’s most prestigious civil awards, for rescuing the sole surviving newborn from a hospital nursery fire that killed 14 other infants.
• The fire broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, rapidly engulfing the third-floor nursery where 15 newborns were being cared for; Noreen entered the burning room and saved one baby before flames and smoke forced her to retreat.
• Noreen expressed heartbreak and trauma over being unable to save the other infants, stating the fire spread too quickly and continues to haunt her.
• Following an inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, eight hospital officials have been suspended and face disciplinary actions, with criminal proceedings ordered against those responsible; the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
• The tragedy has sparked nationwide reviews of fire safety protocols in hospitals across Pakistan to prevent similar incidents in the future.