Senate Panel Raises Alarm Over Missing PIMS Evidence
Briefing tells lawmakers conditions inside the nursery became inaccessible within about a minute, while Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan alleges evidence from the MCH nursery was removed and questions why the area was not immediately secured.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Monday began a detailed examination of the PIMS nursery incident, with lawmakers being shown video footage of the episode and raising fresh questions over emergency preparedness, preservation of evidence and administrative responsibility.
The meeting was chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, who heads the Senate health committee. The Senate’s official record confirms Chishti as chairman of the Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.
During the meeting, committee members were shown footage from the nursery as officials briefed lawmakers on how rapidly conditions deteriorated.
According to the briefing presented before the committee, conditions inside the nursery became so severe within approximately one minute that further entry became effectively impossible.
The committee was told that a duty nurse immediately rescued an infant positioned close to the nursery entrance. Video footage reviewed during the meeting also indicated the presence of a doctor inside the nursery, with the doctor reportedly emerging from the affected area at a very late stage as conditions worsened.
Independent reporting on the government’s interim inquiry has similarly documented that the nursery deteriorated extremely rapidly. The inquiry found that the ward did not have a functioning automatic alarm or sprinkler system and identified wider shortcomings in emergency preparedness. The precise source of ignition, however, has not yet been conclusively established and remains part of further technical investigation.
Minister Says Preliminary Inquiry Completed
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal informed the committee that the inquiry body constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had submitted its preliminary findings within 48 hours.
He said statements of all members of staff summoned by the high-powered committee had been recorded and made part of the official proceedings.
The minister also maintained that the inquiry committee had worked independently and had not been subjected to pressure from any quarter.
The government has already acted on the interim findings, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordering the suspension of eight officials and directing disciplinary as well as potential criminal proceedings. The inquiry is continuing toward a comprehensive determination of responsibility.
Committee Raises Questions Over Evidence
Chairman Amir Waliuddin Chishti, meanwhile, said the Senate committee had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over arrangements at relevant health institutions.
“We had told them four times that the arrangements were not satisfactory,” the chairman told the meeting, according to proceedings shared with Islamabad Tribune.
Chishti said the committee had deliberately kept the PIMS matter as its single-point agenda and would work to formulate recommendations capable of preventing a recurrence.
He said the Senate health committee also intended to hold a meeting with the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on the same single-point agenda.
The chairman said lawmakers wanted the deliberations to go beyond the immediate incident and contribute toward a national-level policy addressing safety and emergency preparedness in healthcare institutions.
A particularly serious allegation was raised during the meeting by committee member Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, who claimed that evidence had been removed from the MCH nursery.
“Why was this entire area not secured?” the senator questioned.
The allegation concerning removal of evidence was made by the committee member during proceedings and has not independently been established. No final investigative finding cited so far has determined that evidence was deliberately destroyed or removed.
Senator Masroor also raised questions concerning the former executive director of PIMS and referred to previous allegations against the official. Those assertions similarly remain allegations unless established through the relevant inquiry, audit, court or other competent forum.
Focus Shifts to Nationwide Hospital Safety
The Senate discussion comes as scrutiny of PIMS has intensified following the incident involving 14 newborns. Both houses of Parliament have already backed the establishment of a broader parliamentary investigation, with lawmakers from across political parties demanding accountability and reforms in hospital safety procedures.
Earlier findings and reporting have raised questions over emergency exits, fire-detection infrastructure, staff preparedness and the speed of the emergency response. The government’s interim report said the precise ignition source could not yet be conclusively established and reserved several forensic and technical questions for the final inquiry.
During Monday’s committee proceedings, the federal health minister also led prayers for the children who lost their lives and for patience and strength for their families.
The committee said its focus would now be on identifying institutional gaps and preparing recommendations that could form the basis of stronger safety standards across healthcare institutions nationwide.
