Rawalpindi (GNP): Following the deaths of 14 children in a fire at the paediatric nursery of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad, government hospitals across the twin cities have begun implementing measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in future.
At Benazir Bhutto General Hospital in Rawalpindi, officials have completed a range of fire safety, fire emergency and firefighting measures designed to strengthen the facility’s response capacity. According to hospital officials, five water hydrants have been installed through the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) to ensure the immediate availability of water in the event of a fire, addressing one of the most critical gaps that can hinder emergency response.
Alongside the infrastructure upgrades, the hospital has introduced regular preparedness drills, with doctors, nursing staff and other employees taking part in mock exercises every fortnight to ensure they are equipped to handle emergency situations effectively. These drills are supported by newly installed technical safeguards, including a fire alarm system and smoke detectors across the hospital building, giving staff earlier warning in the event of a fire.
The hospital has also expanded its firefighting equipment considerably, adding 40 new fire extinguishers to bring the total number to 187. The extinguishers, which include carbon dioxide units capable of immediately cutting off the oxygen supply feeding a fire, are complemented by a large number of fire balls distributed throughout the hospital that can be thrown directly at flames to extinguish them.
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Structural changes have accompanied these equipment upgrades. Two temporary emergency exits have been created from the nursery to allow for rapid evacuation from the hospital building, while work is under way on a new building design that will incorporate two additional permanent emergency exits. In a further step to improve emergency handling, the two existing nursery halls have been reconfigured into four larger halls, a change intended to make crisis response more manageable in the event of a fire or other emergency.
Complementing these physical and procedural upgrades, electrical system experts from Lahore carried out a complete inspection of the hospital building’s electrical infrastructure, providing recommendations for further improvement to reduce the risk of electrical faults contributing to future incidents.
Hospital officials said the measures reflect a coordinated effort to strengthen fire preparedness across Benazir Bhutto General Hospital following the PIMS tragedy.
