The only newborn who survived last month’s deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad has died while receiving treatment, health officials confirmed on Thursday.
The fire broke out on August 26 in the Mother and Child Health nursery at PIMS. At the time, 15 medically dependent newborns were reportedly being treated in the unit, which was designed for 10 babies. Fourteen infants died in the blaze, while one newborn was rescued alive.
The surviving baby was shifted to PIMS Children’s Hospital and remained under treatment for several weeks. According to hospital sources, the infant was placed on a ventilator before dying late Wednesday night.
The baby’s death raises the total number of newborns killed in the incident to 15. A death certificate reportedly listed cardiac and respiratory arrest as the cause of death.
The August fire prompted a government investigation into safety arrangements at the hospital. An inquiry was also ordered to determine the cause of the blaze and examine whether proper fire prevention and emergency measures were available.
