Welding work carried out in Karachi's NICH nursery in presence of infants
KARACHI: A video showing welding work inside the nursery of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi, with newborn babies present, surfaced on Sunday.
The incident occurred weeks after a deadly fire at the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) claimed the lives of 15 infants on August 26, with 14 dying during the incident and one later.
The video, obtained by Geo News, shows newborns lying on beds inside the NICH nursery as welding work is being conducted nearby. According to sources, between 80 and 120 babies were present in the nursery, with most of the newborns reportedly dependent on oxygen.
The sources said repair work was being carried out in the emergency department's nursery to create an emergency exit route. Despite multiple attempts to contact the hospital administration, no response was received.
It is to be noted here that the Pims tragedy has shaken the nation, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspending officials and ordering action against them.
A comprehensive inquiry into the fire has concluded that an electrical fault in the supply cable of air conditioner number two was the most probable cause of ignition, but that the catastrophe resulted from "systematic and institutional failures".
The report, a copy of which is available with Geo News, found that the fire became visible at approximately 6:38am and dense smoke engulfed the nursery within one to two minutes, leaving an "exceptionally narrow rescue window."
