When a Hospital Becomes a Graveyard -

By Junaid Qaiser
There are moments in a nation’s life that leave scars too deep to heal. The horrific fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, which claimed the lives of 14 newborn babies, is one such moment.
These were not statistics. They were children who had barely begun life. Some were only hours old. Some had been lovingly named by parents who were dreaming of first steps, first words, and bright futures. Instead, those dreams were consumed by flames inside a hospital nursery—a place that should have been among the safest environments in the country.
The details emerging from the tragedy are almost unbearable. A reported air-conditioning malfunction or electrical short circuit allegedly triggered the fire. Oxygen lines accelerated the blaze. Within moments, the nursery was engulfed. Parents waiting outside desperately searched for answers while smoke filled the corridors. Some claim they encountered locked doors. Others say they waited helplessly as rescue efforts unfolded. One father lost his three-day-old daughter. Another mother reportedly spent hours pleading for access to her child.
No words can adequately describe such pain.
As Pakistan mourns, condolences alone are not enough. Expressions of sorrow from political leaders, however sincere, cannot bring back fourteen innocent lives. The nation deserves answers, and the families deserve justice.
What makes this tragedy even more painful is the possibility that it may have been preventable.
Questions are already being raised about fire safety systems, emergency preparedness, electrical maintenance, expired fire extinguishers, and the reported absence of sprinkler systems. If these allegations prove true, then this was not merely an accident. It was the consequence of negligence. And negligence in a neonatal ward is not a minor administrative failure—it is a betrayal of public trust.
For years, Pakistan has witnessed similar disasters followed by familiar promises. Inquiry committees are formed. Reports are written. Headlines fade. Accountability disappears. Then another tragedy occurs somewhere else, and the cycle begins again.
This pattern must end.
The loss of fourteen newborns should not become another file buried in bureaucracy. Every individual responsible for ensuring safety at the facility must be identified. If maintenance protocols were ignored, those responsible must answer. If safety equipment was non-functional, someone must explain why. If emergency exits were inaccessible or doors were improperly secured, those decisions must be scrutinized. If warnings were ignored before the incident, the public has a right to know who ignored them.
Accountability should not stop at lower-level employees. Too often, the weakest links become convenient scapegoats while those with real authority escape consequences. A meaningful investigation must examine the entire chain of responsibility—from hospital administration to regulatory oversight bodies and government departments entrusted with protecting public health.
The suspension of officials and formation of inquiry committees may be necessary first steps, but they cannot be the final outcome. The country has seen suspensions before. What Pakistan needs now is transparency, criminal accountability where warranted, and comprehensive reform of hospital safety standards nationwide.
This tragedy also exposes a broader issue within our healthcare system. Hospitals are meant to heal and protect. Yet recurring incidents suggest that safety often remains an afterthought rather than a priority. Fire drills, electrical inspections, emergency evacuation plans, sprinkler systems, and modern safety audits should not be optional measures. They should be mandatory requirements, particularly in facilities caring for the most vulnerable patients.
The fourteen babies who died at PIMS had no voice. They cannot testify before an inquiry committee. They cannot demand justice. That responsibility now falls on all of us.
As a society, we must refuse to accept preventable deaths as inevitable. We must reject the culture of forgetting. We must insist that those entrusted with public safety are held to the highest standards.
The nursery where these children spent their final moments should never have become a death trap. The greatest tribute to their memory is not another statement of regret. It is ensuring that no parent in Pakistan ever has to endure such a nightmare again.
The nation mourns today. Tomorrow, it must demand accountability.
For the fourteen newborns whose lives ended before they truly began, justice must not be delayed, diluted, or denied.