Journalist Ijaz Cheema, in a video shared on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, claimed that a fire safety exercise was conducted at PIMS in collaboration with the fire brigade following the tragic incident. However, he alleged that the firefighting cylinders used during the drill failed to extinguish even a small fire.
According to the report, doctors, nurses and other hospital staff repeatedly sprayed the extinguishers until the cylinders were completely emptied. Despite this, they reportedly failed to put out a small fire set to pieces of cardboard during the exercise.
Cheema further claimed that the firefighting gas inside the cylinders was allegedly substandard and ineffective, raising concerns about the reliability of the equipment available to deal with a potential emergency at the hospital.
He warned that if another fire breaks out in any department of the hospital, ineffective or faulty firefighting equipment could put lives at further risk instead of helping save them.
The allegations have sparked concern among members of the public and journalist circles, with calls for a thorough investigation into the role of the PIMS administration, the fire brigade and contractors responsible for supplying firefighting equipment.
Public representatives and concerned citizens have also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate notice of the matter and order an investigation into the alleged negligence, supply of substandard equipment and any other irregularities involved.
The latest allegations come after the deaths of 14 newborn babies in a fire at PIMS, intensifying questions over fire safety measures and emergency preparedness at one of Islamabad’s largest public hospitals.
