ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Minister for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination Mustafa Kamal on Friday vowed that “no one will be spared” while talking about the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) that claimed the lives of 14 infants, adding that the country’s health sector needed to be reformed.

Speaking in the Senate, Kamal said: “No one intends to spare or save anyone. I am saying this on behalf of the prime minister and the entire government that not a single person will be spared”.

He said that the tragedy cannot be an “episode lasting merely a few days,” as he called for accountability and for efforts to prevent such incidents in the future.

The minister warned against “suppressing the issue” and invited the House to work towards a way forward, agreeing to a proposal seeking the formation of a parliamentary committee comprising opposition members to investigate Wednesday’s incident.

“Look at your resources, management and actions and then involve everyone to suggest a way forward,” he said, assuring that the government will support such an approach.

“This is a matter of children’s lives, and we are answerable to God for it. The ministry is nothing; we cannot ruin our afterlife for these ministries,” he remarked.

At the outset of his address, the minister expressed sorrow at the lives lost in the incident.

“There can be no explanation for this. I am holding myself responsible, and I have presented myself to be held accountable.”

He called for a holistic approach toward investigating the incident, urging that any committee formed to probe should not be “time-bound and should remain open”.

“When you go investigate this incident, you will find so many things associated with it,” he said, pointing to a larger “rot” within the sector.

Kamal held that the health sector was not “ideal”.

“Four hundred thousand children between the ages of one and five die every year, 1,300 die every day; they are all dying preventable deaths,” he said.

He continued: “It is not possible to bring back the infants who died at Pims, but let us look at it as a test from God and prevent the next kid from dying.”

Kamal maintained that there was “no point” in making speeches if the government failed to learn from the incident.

“Start from me,” Kamal said, offering himself up for accountability.

“Sit with us and save the next from dying. I am putting the entire ministry at your disposal; every person will be answerable to you,” he said.

He noted that the system was “rotten” and went on to say: “Where do I find a better person after removing an incompetent one?”

Kamal said that when the day ended, “1,300 children would have died across the country”.

Speaking about the inquiry committee’s report on the incident, which he said would be presented by tonight, Kamal assured the House: “If you don’t trust it, fair enough [..] we will listen to you.”

The health minister once again reassured the House that, “No one will be spared, no matter how influential they are”.

“We have to come up with a solution, and I am inviting you to guide us and [..] give us a strategic roadmap,” he said. Kamal said that the health ministry would provide all the relevant input and information.

“Sit with us and find a way forward on how to prevent the next child from dying due to negligence within the resources that we have. I assure you of its implementation”.

However, he added that if matters were to move in that direction, “no MNA should call and ask why a certain doctor was removed”.

Calling for “radical reforms” in the health sector, Kamal urged that the Pims fire “can serve as a basis for how we can prevent more children from dying”.

The minister further stated that he was “withholding his information” on the fire until the committee’s report.

“If you are dissatisfied (with the report), then form a committee, and everyone stands ready to be held accountable”.

Concluding his address, Kamal urged that the “issue should be only closed at a point where we can prevent similar incidents in the future”.

“I am willing to sit here all night and listen,” he added.

The minister, during his address, in response to calls for his resignation, said: “Let the investigation be completed. I have already taken action beyond what they are thinking.”

Sherry Rehman calls for accountability; PTI’s Ali Zafar proposes formation of committee

The routine business in the Senate was suspended on a motion moved by PPP parliamentary leader in the House Senator Sherry Rehman for a thorough discussion on the Pims fire.

Speaking in the Senate, Rehman stressed that the incident raised serious questions of governance, accountability and public safety.

“Wherever there is a failure, there must be accountability. Audit and accountability are an integral part of politics. Working for public interest in the Senate is politics. Politics is to work for the good of people, to work for public interest. Politics is all about accountability.“ she stressed.

Rehman said her concerns were also rooted in her own experience as a former health minister. “I have served as health minister for six months. I was also given reasons to close the emergency gates, but I did not. Instead, I posted guards there and checked myself. Why are incompetent people who don’t care about basic safety protocols even allowed to continue?”

“The executive director of Pims was lying when he said that the emergency gate was not closed. The firefighters and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have stated that the gate was closed. What is the purpose of an emergency exit? It is supposed to remain open for emergencies,” Rehman questioned.

Rehman also pointed to contradictions between the Pims report and the findings of CDA, particularly concerning the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements.

“The PIMS report contradicts the CDA’s findings. The CDA has repeatedly stated that the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements are inadequate. Why was no notice taken? The hospital does not even have a fire NOC.”

Senator Rehman highlighted the substantial federal funding provided to Pims, and questioned why basic safety standards had not been ensured despite the availability of resources.

PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar proposed the formation of a special committee comprising an equal number of government and opposition members, with an opposition member as its head.

He said the committee should examine hospital safety and emergency preparedness and develop comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for dealing with foreseeable hazards and emergencies.

The committee, he proposed, should also ensure that these SOPs are available, properly implemented and regularly reviewed in every hospital “Let us start with Islamabad,” he said.

Zafar further proposed that the committee be empowered to inspect hospitals, call for records, seek explanations from hospital administrations and co-opt medical, fire-safety, engineering, disaster-management and other relevant experts whenever required.

He said the administrations of all hospitals should be directed to fully cooperate with the committee and provide all necessary information, records, facilities and assistance required for it to perform its mandate.

“This should not be another committee that merely produces a report which sits on a shelf,” he said.

According to Zafar, the committee should be focused on identifying failures, correcting them, establishing enforceable safety protocols and ensuring compliance.

“We owe this not only to those who lost their lives in this tragedy, but to every patient and every family who will have to depend on our hospitals in the future,” he said.

The Senate also passed unanimously a resolution calling for the formation of a special Senate committee to investigate the incident on Friday. It was moved by Senator Rehman.

NA passes resolution for inquiry into fire

Meanwhile, the National Assembly unanimously approved a resolution, calling for an impartial inquiry into the incident and expressing condolences to the affected families.

Through the resolution, a copy of which is available with Dawn, lawmakers expressed “profound grief and sorrow” over the incident and strongly condemned it. They raised alarm at the circumstances surrounding the fire, with the resolution stating that the circumstances were a result of “sheer negligence”.

It called upon the government to “take strict action against anyone responsible for negligence or safety lapses in accordance with the law”.

Lawmakers also called on the government to ensure that fire safety and emergency preparedness measures were strictly implemented in federal government hospitals, particularly in neonatal and paediatric units, to prevent such incidents in the future.

“The House […] extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prays for strength and fortitude for them in this hour of profound grief,” the resolution added.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar expressed his condolences and informed the NA about the steps taken by the prime minister.

He said that PM Shehbaz had constituted two committees — one headed by Dr Azhar Kiani and the other by former Secretary Shahid Khan. The committee headed by Dr Kiani would provide information on what was required for the improvement of Pims.

The minister also asked for concrete suggestions to be made in the House instead of the issue being politicised.

Former prime minister and PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the nation had a “habit” of forming a committee or a commission on such matters to keep it alive, but eventually forgetting about the incident within a few weeks.

“We need to have a change of approach towards hazards and the health sector,” he said.

Ashraf criticised that even after days, nobody was clear about the reasons for the accident, calling for a committee of parliamentarians belonging to all parties in the House to investigate the matter and “at least” inquire into the cause of the fire.

PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser noted that the fateful incident occurred at the same hospital that the government claimed had the best facilities when it came to the treatment of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan. Last week, Imran had undergone a medical check-up at Pims — rather than Islamabad’s private Shifa International Hospital as per the directions of the Supreme Court — before being shifted back to Adiala jail.

Rs5m compensation announced for affected families

Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced Rs5 million compensation for each family affected by the fire.

Recalling Wednesday’s incident while speaking to the media at Pims, Chaudhry lamented that 14 infants had fallen victim to “someone’s criminal negligence”.

He added that the prime minister had constituted an inquiry committee that was expected to present its report today, assuring that all those “on-duty individuals found guilty of negligence will be given exemplary punishment”.

The minister said the grief of the affected families could not be compensated for.

“Neither can their children be brought back, nor can their grief be reduced,” he added. “But to provide some relief […] the prime minister has announced that Rs5 million will be given to all the affected families.”

Chaudhry said he was visiting Pims to hand over a cheque to one of the affected families on behalf of the prime minister, adding that the compensation amount would be deposited in the accounts of the deceased children’s mothers.

“This is a small effort to share their sorrow,” he remarked.

Responding to a question about demands for DNA tests of the bodies, he said most of the deceased children died in the incident not because they were burnt but because of suffocation due to smoke.

“So all of them could be identified,” he said, adding that after birth, infants had tags with their mothers’ names on their arms. “So they were easily identified.”

Deadly fire at Pims

On Wednesday, 14 babies were killed after a fire erupted at the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre at Pims.

According to a Pims statement, the incident was “initially caused by a spark inside the nursery at 06:38am”, and within seconds a massive fire erupted due to oxygen points at each incubator. It said two doctors and two nurses on duty responded immediately and called security staff, who tried twice to enter the nursery before a blast occurred and the ceilings collapsed.

But, witnesses said they waited hours for emergency services and were forced to smash windows to reach the affected ward, while some alleged that doors were locked.

The hospital and government later disputed claims of delays and locked emergency exits.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a high-level inquiry committee to probe the incident and removed federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri.

The tragedy has since sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability, with the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services also demanding answers from the Pims administration over possible negligence and safety lapses.