NA committee questions PMs committee effectiveness on PIMS tragedy
Islamabad: The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination of the National Assembly questioned the effectiveness of the inquiry conducted on the Prime Minister’s directions on PIMS tragedy in which 14 infants lost their lives.
In a committee meeting, Chairman of the Committee, Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, said the Committee’s primary concern was not merely how the infants could have been rescued after the fire, but why a fire was able to engulf the nursery within such a short period in the first place. He questioned the availability and functioning of fire-safety systems, electrical installations, air-conditioning equipment, oxygen arrangements, biomedical equipment, emergency preparedness and staff training.
The committee sought the complete inquiry findings, detailed cause of death of each of the 14 infants, the number of persons present inside the nursery at the time of the incident, CCTV footage before and after the fire, inspection records, biomedical equipment records, fire-safety audits and details of mock drills and emergency training.
The committee also questioned the performance of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), asking whether the Authority had discharged its statutory responsibility of inspecting and enforcing minimum standards in both public and private healthcare establishments in Islamabad. Members questioned when the last comprehensive inspection of PIMS was conducted, whether prescribed minimum service and safety standards were being enforced and whether IHRA had carried out the required audits and inspections of public hospitals. The Committee decided to summon relevant IHRA officials, including the concerned regulatory authorities, at its next meeting and seek a detailed account of inspections, violations and enforcement action.
Members expressed serious concern that the Federal Minister for National Health Services appeared to be unaware of several major issues confronting the health sector, stating that Committee members were repeatedly identifying problems that should ordinarily be brought to the Minister’s attention by the Ministry and its attached departments. The Committee observed that the Minister could not remain dependent solely on departmental briefings and stressed that political and administrative ownership was essential for reforming the health sector.
Several members termed the incident a case of criminal negligence and questioned why criminal proceedings had not been initiated against all those responsible.
