CDA Fines 48 Islamabad Hospitals and Medical Centres Rs14 Million Over Fire Safety Violations

• CDA has issued challans to 48 government and private hospitals and medical centres over alleged fire and life safety violations.
• The facilities have been fined a combined Rs14 million, with individual penalties ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs500,000.
• PIMS, Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital and Capital Hospital are among the major facilities issued challans.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has issued challans to 48 government and private hospitals and medical centres in Islamabad for failing to meet mandatory fire and life safety requirements, imposing combined fines of around Rs14 million.

According to the report, the action covers several major healthcare facilities in the federal capital, including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital and Capital Hospital.

KRL Hospital and some other major medical facilities were issued penalties of up to Rs500,000. Overall, fines imposed on healthcare facilities ranged between Rs50,000 and Rs500,000 depending on the violations identified.

Similar enforcement action has also been taken against clinics and laboratories in Islamabad as authorities intensify checks on compliance with fire and life safety regulations.

The action comes amid increased scrutiny of safety arrangements at hospitals following the devastating fire at the neonatal nursery of PIMS that claimed the lives of 14 newborns.

The PIMS tragedy has been examined by both Senate and National Assembly standing committees on health, where lawmakers raised questions about the hospital’s safety arrangements, the circumstances surrounding the fire and CCTV footage of the incident.

During a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the neonatal nursery was completely engulfed in flames within around two minutes.

After viewing CCTV footage of the incident, Senator Nasir Butt questioned its authenticity and said it appeared to have been edited. He also questioned how the nursery could have been destroyed by fire in such a short period.

Other committee members complained that the inquiry report had not been provided to them before the briefing, saying access to the report would have allowed lawmakers to raise more detailed questions about the incident.

Committee member Masroor Ahsan questioned responsibility for the deaths of the 14 newborns and criticised the former PIMS executive director. He also alleged that the doors of the neonatal nursery and an adjoining ward had been closed during the incident and called for action against the former hospital chief.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Health, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar, separately examined the incident and also raised concerns about the available CCTV footage.

Mustafa Kamal told the committee that he had personally viewed the footage and that the entire incident unfolded in approximately 120 seconds.

Dr Mahesh Kumar said the footage provided from the neonatal nursery appeared incomplete and questioned why footage showing the interior section of the nursery was not available. He noted that the available footage showed a nurse entering the nursery but did not show her leaving.

The committee chairman also said there were contradictions in statements given by PIMS staff and that the hospital administration had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation about the actual cause of the fire.

Lawmakers further questioned safety arrangements inside the neonatal nursery, including why medical gases were being supplied through cylinders, why portable air-conditioning units had been installed and whether appropriate biomedical engineering support was available.