National ( The cow news digital )
ISLAMABAD: Following a devastating fire in the neonatal unit of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital that claimed the lives of 14 newborn infants, the aunt of the sole surviving child has contradicted official claims made by hospital management.
Speaking to news outlets, the aunt revealed shocking details about the morning of August 26, 2026, contradicting initial claims by PIMS administration that a lady doctor had rescued the newborn. The woman stated that she personally ran into the smoke-filled nursery after hearing a female doctor alert patients to the fire. According to her account, medical staff panicked and fled the ward, leaving vulnerable newborns behind.
“I rushed inside, calling out that my sister’s baby was in the room,” the aunt recounted, adding that her hair and shoulder sustained minor burn injuries as she pulled the baby to safety. She further stated that no nurses or doctors assisted in the rescue of her newborn niece or helped evacuate her sister, who had recently undergone surgery.
Additionally, the family alleged that PIMS officials have since repeatedly contacted them with conflicting statements, at times claiming the family picked up the wrong infant or asserting that a nurse carried out the rescue.
The tragic fire, triggered by an air-conditioner compressor explosion and fueled by active oxygen supplies in the ward, resulted in the tragic deaths of 14 infants. A high-level inquiry initiated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently underway to fix responsibility and investigate severe safety lapses at the public medical facility.
