‘Give me my baby back’: Mother’s desperate P…

A devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad has claimed the lives of 15 children, turning a routine morning at the capital’s major public hospital into a scene of panic, grief and anguish.

The fire broke out early Wednesday in the Mother and Child Health Ward, where critically ill newborns were receiving treatment. Thick smoke rapidly filled parts of the ward, leaving families and hospital staff struggling to reach the affected area.

The tragedy has raised serious questions about fire safety, emergency response, hospital security and the availability of adequate facilities for vulnerable newborns.

Among the grieving parents was a mother who could not hold back her anguish after losing her infant. “Give me my child back,” she cried, as families gathered outside the hospital waiting for information about their children.

Witnesses described a chaotic situation inside the hospital, with heavy smoke making it difficult to move through the affected area. Some patients and attendants reportedly attempted to escape through windows after finding access points blocked.

A witness said the fire spread rapidly and that babies as young as a day old were present in the ward. Another witness claimed rescue personnel took considerable time to reach the affected section, while hospital security allegedly restricted the movement of people trying to leave.

However, Islamabad’s senior administration gave a different account of the emergency response. Officials said the emergency call was received shortly before 7am and that rescue and police teams reached the hospital promptly. The fire was subsequently brought under control.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

PIMS officials said the preliminary cause of the fire appeared to be an electrical fault involving an air conditioner. Authorities are expected to examine the equipment, wiring, hospital safety systems and emergency procedures to determine how the fire started and why it spread so quickly.

The deaths have caused widespread grief across the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed sorrow over the loss of the infants and called for a detailed examination of the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

The prime minister directed that those responsible for any negligence be identified and that strict action be taken on the basis of the investigation.

The incident has also brought renewed attention to safety standards at public hospitals. PIMS is one of Islamabad’s largest healthcare institutions and caters to a large number of patients from the capital and surrounding areas.

Families and witnesses have raised questions about the availability of emergency exits, fire-fighting equipment, evacuation procedures and the preparedness of hospital staff to deal with fires in specialised wards.

The presence of newborns in critical care areas makes emergency preparedness particularly important. Infants requiring intensive medical support cannot be evacuated in the same manner as ordinary patients, increasing the need for specialised fire-safety plans and trained personnel.

The tragedy has also sparked anger over whether existing safety warnings and shortcomings at public hospitals were adequately addressed before the incident.

For the bereaved families, however, the immediate concern is the loss of their children. Parents gathered outside PIMS in distress as they waited for confirmation and the return of their babies.

The fire is among the most serious recent incidents involving a public healthcare facility in Pakistan and has intensified calls for stronger enforcement of fire-safety regulations in hospitals and other major public buildings.