Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a cash reward of Rs. 10 million and the Sitara-i-Khidmat civil award for nurse Razia Noreen, who rescued a newborn during the deadly fire that broke out in the neonatal nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on August 26.
The prime minister praised Noreen for showing exceptional courage and devotion to duty during the blaze, saying the nation was proud of a nurse who risked her own life to save a child’s.
Nurse Saved the Only Surviving Baby
According to inquiry findings into the incident, 15 newborns were inside the neonatal ward at the time the fire broke out. Fourteen of them died in the blaze. Razia Noreen managed to pull one newborn to safety before conditions in the ward worsened, and that infant was the only baby to survive the tragedy.
Investigators noted that Noreen carried out the rescue while putting her own life at risk, a detail that has driven much of the public and government response to her actions in the days since the fire.
PM Approves Rs. 10 Million Reward and Civil Award
Following the inquiry’s findings, Shehbaz Sharif approved a Rs. 10 million (Rs. 1 crore) cash reward for Noreen, along with the Sitara-i-Khidmat, one of Pakistan’s civil awards recognising distinguished service. The prime minister’s office said the award reflected the extraordinary courage and responsibility she displayed during the emergency.
Action Ordered Against Hospital Officials
Alongside the reward for Noreen, the government has ordered action against officials named in the inquiry into the fire. The prime minister directed the suspension of eight officials and ordered criminal proceedings against those found responsible for lapses that contributed to the tragedy. Authorities were also instructed to take action against the private security company that had been deployed at the hospital.
The inquiry identified serious shortcomings in fire safety measures, evacuation procedures, and the overall emergency response at the facility, though investigators have not yet conclusively determined the exact cause of the fire. A further forensic examination is currently underway to establish how the blaze started. The findings echo a wider CDA report that flagged fire safety gaps in thousands of Islamabad buildings, and come as the same hospital also faces a separate health scare after mosquito larvae were found in its maternal and child health ward.
Compensation for Affected Families
The government has separately announced Rs. 5 million in compensation for each family that lost a child in the fire. The combination of compensation payments, the suspension of hospital officials, and Noreen’s award reflects the scale of the public and political attention the PIMS fire has drawn since it occurred.
