Fire breaks out in urology ward of hospital in Pakistan’s Bannu
A fire broke out in the urology ward of the Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital in Bannu, Pakistan, on September 7. According to the Rescue 1122 emergency service, all patients were evacuated to a safe place and no one died.
As Dawn reports, rescuers arrived at the medical facility about five minutes after the emergency call. The fire was brought under control in about 10 minutes.
Preliminary cause of the fire
Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Noman said that the fire began at around 10:00. According to preliminary information, it may have been caused by an electrical spark.
Hospital staff and rescuers immediately evacuated the patients and began extinguishing the fire. According to Noman, the prompt actions prevented the fire from spreading. The hospital is also called Medical Teaching Institution Bannu.
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Noman said that following the recent fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, the institution’s staff underwent special training in firefighting, fire response and emergency response. He added that these skills were used during the incident in Bannu.
Other hospital fires in Pakistan
Less than two weeks ago, a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad claimed the lives of 14 infants. Witnesses said they waited several hours for emergency services and broke windows to enter the affected ward. The hospital and the government later denied claims of delayed assistance and blocked emergency exits.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to investigate the fire, dismissed Federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri and ordered the suspension of eight officials, including the institute’s executive director. An interim report dated August 29 stated that the exact source of the fire had not been definitively established.
On Saturday, a fire also broke out in an operating room at the Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab province. The operation was suspended and the patient was moved to a safe place. Reports said the fire may have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.
