Fourteen newborns died in a fire on August 26 at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad's largest public hospital. The blaze engulfed the neonatal ward within two minutes, according to a preliminary inquiry.
The inquiry found that the ward had no fire alarm or sprinkler system and that emergency procedures were inadequate. The hospital had experienced a previous fire on July 6, just seven weeks earlier, and an earlier inquiry into that incident had already identified gaps in fire detection, alarms, evacuation preparedness, and electrical inspections.
According to Human Rights Watch, Pakistan ranked 176th of 189 countries for government health spending as a share of GDP in 2021, the most recent year available. The group documented that more than 50 percent of Pakistanis lack access to basic primary health care and 42 percent have no health coverage, with patients paying out of pocket for most services.
Pakistan is party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognizes the right to the highest attainable standard of health. The covenant requires governments to take steps to ensure functioning, quality health facilities and services, including patient safety protections.
