Govt announces Rs5m compensation for families of PIMS fire victims

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday announced Rs5 million compensation for the family of each infant who died in the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), as a high-level inquiry continued into the deaths of 14 newborns.

In a statement, the government expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and said it would provide them with every possible support and assistance. It acknowledged that no amount of compensation could replace a human life, but said the financial assistance was intended to help ease the hardships faced by the affected families.

The announcement came a day after 14 newborns died when a fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the third floor of PIMS’ Mother and Child Health ward at around 6:45am. Fifteen newborns were present in the nursery at the time, with only one infant rescued.

Rescue officials initially said an air-conditioner compressor had exploded inside the nursery. However, the initial PIMS report gave a different account, stating that a nebuliser used to measure oxygen alongside an incubator had exploded. Video footage reportedly showed flames emerging from an air conditioner.

According to the PIMS report, the fire subsequently spread through oxygen, while smoke travelled through pipes connected to the infants’ breathing systems. The newborns died after the oxygen supply was cut off and as a result of burns, according to the report.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif subsequently constituted a four-member high-level inquiry committee to investigate the incident and directed it to submit an interim report within 48 hours.

Read More: PIMS fire inquiry begins as committees probe deaths of 14 newborns

Investigation underway

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told journalists earlier Thursday that the interim inquiry report was expected by the end of the day and reiterated that an independent committee had been constituted to investigate the tragedy.

Tarar said the committee was fully independent and that several aspects of the incident were expected to become clearer within a day. He stressed that the key objective of the investigation was to establish responsibility rather than attempt to place a monetary value on the lives lost.

The minister said investigators were reviewing video footage to determine whether emergency teams had sufficient time to respond and whether the oxygen supply to the newborns could have been disconnected quickly enough to save their lives.

“These are technical questions on which we should not make any predictions,” Tarar said.

He added that Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had presented himself for accountability a day earlier.

Meanwhile, sources told Geo News that the prime minister’s inquiry committee had obtained written statements from the Joint Executive Director of PIMS and three other officials and had questioned members of the hospital’s health management.

The committee also obtained written statements from nursery staff and secured CCTV footage from the facility. Investigators were reviewing the footage and comparing it with the administration’s account of how the fire started.

The panel was also provided with the duty roster for August 26 and received reports from the fire brigade and emergency department.

The committee is expected to submit its interim findings to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within 48 hours, with the investigation focusing on the cause of the fire, the emergency response, the hospital’s safety arrangements and any negligence or administrative lapses that may have contributed to the deaths.