Bannu hospital fire doused, all patients remain safe
BANNU: A fire that broke out in the Urology Ward of Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu was brought under control within minutes on Monday, with all patients safely evacuated and no casualties reported, Rescue 1122 said.
According to Rescue 1122 Bannu, its fire rescue team reached the hospital approximately five minutes after receiving an emergency call and immediately launched firefighting and rescue operations.
The rescue service said the blaze was successfully extinguished within around 10 minutes using modern firefighting techniques. All patients present in the affected ward were evacuated to a secure location, while hospital staff and rescue personnel worked together to prevent the fire from spreading.
Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Bannu spokesperson Mohammad Noman said the fire was initially caused by an electrical spark. He said hospital staff immediately responded to the incident, evacuated the patients and informed Rescue 1122 without delay.
Noman said the timely response by hospital employees and rescue teams helped bring the situation under control before the fire could cause further damage.
He further revealed that MTI Bannu staff had recently undergone special training in firefighting, emergency response and evacuation procedures following the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
According to the spokesperson, the training proved useful during Monday’s incident as staff members were able to respond quickly and coordinate effectively with Rescue 1122 teams.
The Bannu hospital fire comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over fire safety at healthcare facilities across Pakistan following the PIMS tragedy.
On August 26, 14 newborn babies were killed when a fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS. The incident triggered widespread public anger and calls for strict action against those responsible.
Following the tragedy, authorities in several parts of the country began reviewing fire-safety arrangements at hospitals and other public buildings.
In Islamabad, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed three buildings over fire-safety violations and later conducted a fire drill at Parliament House. The Islamabad High Court also sought a government report regarding fire-safety audits and mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for buildings in the capital.
Meanwhile, a fire-safety assessment of 22 government hospitals in Sindh identified several shortcomings, including inadequate fire alarms, sprinklers and firefighting equipment. Punjab authorities also ordered fresh safety inspections of public and private hospitals and directed healthcare facilities to strengthen emergency preparedness and conduct regular fire drills.
The safe evacuation of patients in Bannu highlights the importance of trained hospital staff, emergency preparedness and effective coordination with rescue services in preventing loss of life during such incidents.
