Milan, 26 August (LaPresse) – A fire broke out today in the gynaecology ward of a hospital in Islamabad, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), resulting in the deaths of 14 newborns. This was reported by the hospital itself. The Pakistani newspaper *Dawn* reports that the fire broke out on the third floor and that a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the incident. PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told *Dawn* that there were 15 newborns in the ward and that “at least one newborn was saved by a doctor”. When asked about the cause of the incident, she stated that the fire, which broke out at 7 am, appears to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. A witness, Malik Israr, whose niece was being treated in the gynaecology ward, told the newspaper *Dawn* that the neonatal ward was housed in a building where repair and renovation work was underway. “After the fire broke out, the patients were told to evacuate the building. Women who had just given birth had to rush down the stairs from the second floor,” he said. PIMS, founded in 1985, is the largest public hospital in Islamabad. It is one of the capital’s two oldest healthcare facilities and comprises several hospitals and training institutes.
Pakistan: Fire at a hospital in Islamabad leaves 14 newborns dead
Milan, 26 August (LaPresse) – A fire broke out today in the gynaecology ward of a hospital in Islamabad, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), resulting in the deaths of 14 newborns. This was reported by the hospital itself. The Pakistani newspaper *Dawn* reports that the fire broke out on the third floor and that a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the incident. PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told *Dawn* that there were 15 newborns in the ward and that “at least one newborn was saved by a doctor”. When asked about the cause of the incident, she stated that the fire, which broke out at 7 am, appears to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. A witness, Malik Israr, whose niece was being treated in the gynaecology ward, told the newspaper *Dawn* that the neonatal ward was housed in a building where repair and renovation work was underway. “After the fire broke out, the patients were told to evacuate the building. Women who had just given birth had to rush down the stairs from the second floor,” he said. PIMS, founded in 1985, is the largest public hospital in Islamabad. It is one of the capital’s two oldest healthcare facilities and comprises several hospitals and training institutes.