Preliminary Report of PM’s Committee Ready, Proves Negligence of PIMS Hospital Officers and Staff
ISLAMABAD: The preliminary report of the inquiry committee headed by the Prime Minister has been finalised which reveals that officers and staff of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital were found guilty of gross negligence.
A number of statements were made by staff and officials and recorded, and the Prime Minister’s investigation committee meticulously checked the timeline of the fire and how the fire brigade arrived.
The findings regarding Rescue Obstacles and Lack of Emergency Preparedness were as follows:The results of Rescue Obstacles and Lack of Emergency Preparedness were as follows:
Upon arrival, rescue teams faced serious difficulties, the report said, as doors were closed, technical staff members were not present and firefighting equipment was lacking to the point rescue workers had to tear through walls to gain access to the building. The report also found that the hospital staff were totally untrained on emergency procedures.
The first 48-hour time frame for the committee led by the Prime Minister has ended today and the committee will submit a detailed and comprehensive report within five days.
Jot some down, then see what the political consequences are.
The PM’s committee took statements from more than 30 staff members – including the Executive Director, Joint Executive Director, doctors, nurses and other staff – as well as from more than 18 security guards stationed at the children’s ward before finalising the initial findings. The committee also crosschecked staff presence records with biometrics at the time of the tragedy. Statements were also taken from the firefighting crew, the Director General of Emergency and Disaster Management, and the Director of the Fire Brigade and rescue response timelines were extensively cross-examined.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has re-issued letters to express its concern about fire safety and a separate petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court for the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the PIMS disaster. The hospital administration has also set up its own inquiry committee in addition to the committee of the Prime Minister. Yesterday the committee seized CCTV of the hospital nursery, took statements from staff at the PIMS and looked at reports from the fire brigade and the emergency department.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health discussed the incident at the PIMS hospital and directed immediate suspension of those on duty doctors and staff of the institution and also demanded the resignation of Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal. During a visit to the hospital, committee head Dr. Mahesh Kumar asked some crucial questions, saying, “We found that the air conditioner was not even working yesterday when it was alleged to have caused the fire. It seems as though all the nurses were scripted and made to recite the same story.