Senator Masroor Demands Former PIMS ED’s Arrest, Accountability

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services on Monday intensified its scrutiny of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), with Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan demanding the arrest of the hospital’s former executive director and an audit covering the previous three years amid a wider debate over management failures and accountability following the nursery tragedy.

The Senate’s official schedule confirms that the Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination met at PIMS at 12 noon on August 31. The committee is chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti.

During the proceedings, Masroor Ahsan questioned the purpose of continuing inquiries when, in his view, serious concerns had already been raised about the former hospital administration. He alleged that the former executive director had previously faced corruption accusations and said the official should be arrested while PIMS undergoes a comprehensive three-year audit.

The allegations raised during the committee meeting have not been established by a court, and any criminal liability would require investigation and due process.

July Hostel Incident Also Comes Under Scrutiny

Ahsan also argued that a July 6 incident at the PIMS nursing hostel should have triggered stronger institutional safeguards. Contemporary reports citing hospital documents said an incident occurred at the hostel reception at around 3am on July 6, damaging three sofas while 78 residents remained safe. Reports said no definitive cause was established in the absence of electrical and forensic findings, while CCTV cameras, a fire alarm and a formal emergency plan were reportedly unavailable at the hostel.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told the committee that the Health Ministry had not been informed about that earlier episode. Coverage of Monday’s proceedings similarly reported that the July incident and the hospital’s handling of it became a major focus of senators’ questions.

Committee members also questioned whether the current inquiry mechanism possessed the necessary technical expertise to establish how the August 26 nursery incident originated. Members argued that determining the precise technical cause required specialist examination rather than being treated solely as a clinical matter.

Kamal told the committee that several possible sources — including air-conditioning equipment, electrical wiring and equipment inside the nursery — had been examined. He said he had initially been informed that the first spark came from an air-conditioning unit and had spoken publicly on that basis, but subsequent information suggested the unit was not functioning, raising further questions about the original explanation.

The minister said the definitive cause was expected to emerge from forensic findings.

Senators Question Two-Minute Fire Timeline

He also told senators that, according to the inquiry material, approximately 120 seconds elapsed between the initial ignition and the rapid deterioration of conditions inside the nursery. Independent reporting on the government’s interim findings has similarly said the nursery became overwhelmed within roughly two minutes, while authorities continued investigating the precise source.

The August 26 incident at PIMS resulted in the deaths of 14 newborns, according to subsequent government and international news reports. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later ordered the suspension of eight officials and initiation of further proceedings after receiving an interim inquiry report. The report highlighted shortcomings in emergency preparedness, including the absence of a fire alarm and sprinkler system in the nursery.

Senator Masroor Ahsan also said parents had told lawmakers that entry routes were closed during the emergency and urged investigators to examine access arrangements closely. Earlier reporting following the incident documented similar allegations from families regarding restricted or locked access, while PIMS management disputed claims that doors had been deliberately locked.

Ahsan further asked that hospital records showing what equipment and material had been kept inside the newborn ward be produced before the committee, arguing that such documentation could assist investigators in understanding how conditions developed so rapidly.

Senator Nasir Butt also questioned inconsistencies surrounding the emerging explanations and asked whom authorities were seeking to protect. He argued that conflicting accounts had damaged confidence in the inquiry and demanded that the investigation establish the facts independently.

Committee Calls for PIMS Governance Reforms

The committee additionally discussed the distinction between clinical management and hospital administration. Senator Rubina and committee chairman Amir Waliuddin Chishti stressed that running clinical services and managing a major institution were different responsibilities and suggested that the two functions should be handled through appropriate specialist leadership.

Chishti remarked that during his committee’s work over the past three years, PIMS had repeatedly generated complaints rather than praise, underscoring what he described as the need for structural reform.

Monday’s proceedings also expanded scrutiny beyond PIMS management to the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), with senators questioning the frequency and effectiveness of regulatory inspections. Reporting from the meeting said committee members sought the date of IHRA’s last meaningful inspection of PIMS and challenged the authority over its oversight performance.

Kamal told the committee that replacing individual officials alone would not resolve PIMS’ underlying problems and argued that the hospital required fundamental governance reforms, including stronger institutional management and accountability.

The committee’s deliberations leave several questions unresolved, particularly the definitive technical cause of the nursery incident, responsibility for administrative or safety failures, implementation of recommendations following the July episode, and whether earlier regulatory intervention could have identified shortcomings before the August tragedy.

The final forensic findings and subsequent official proceedings are expected to be crucial in determining individual and institutional responsibility.