ISLAMABAD: The removal of Health Secretary Aslam Ghori following the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has raised questions over whether the federal government had received complete information about his visits to the hospital and actions taken before and after the incident.
Sources close to Ghori said on Saturday that the health secretary had visited PIMS three to four times in the week before the August 27 fire and had submitted reports on his visits to the Prime Minister’s Office.
A source in the Prime Minister’s Office, however, disputed the account, saying the office was not aware of reports or actions related to PIMS attributed to the health secretary.
The conflicting accounts have created uncertainty over the basis for Ghori’s removal and whether responsibility for administrative failures at PIMS was correctly determined.
The fire at the PIMS Mother and Child Health ward killed 14 newborn children and prompted the government to order an inquiry into the incident.
When did the health secretary visit PIMS?
According to sources close to Ghori, his first reported visit took place on August 21. He was accompanied by his staff officer, Dr Shahid Karim, and met PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar and five to six other doctors.
The sources said Ghori reviewed matters at the hospital and that a report on the visit was personally submitted to the Prime Minister’s House at around 6:30pm the same day.
They said the report was accompanied by a separate report prepared by the PIMS executive director.
Ghori allegedly visited PIMS again on August 23 at around 3pm to supervise an assignment given to him. The PIMS executive director and head of radiology were also present, according to the sources.
A report concerning the second visit was also sent to the Prime Minister’s Office that evening, they claimed.
The account differs from information attributed to a source in the Prime Minister’s Office, which said the prime minister was not aware of such reports or actions by the health secretary concerning PIMS.
What happened after the fire?
Sources close to Ghori said he immediately travelled to PIMS after receiving information about the fire on August 27.
They said he met relevant officials at the hospital and prepared an initial report while at the ICU using a computer available there.
According to the sources, the report was sent to the prime minister’s staff before 11am.
The minister for parliamentary affairs also reached the hospital, obtained a copy of the initial report and later responded to questions from the media.
Ghori remained with the minister during the media interaction before leaving for the Prime Minister’s House, where a meeting had already been scheduled, according to the sources.
The sources said the prime minister subsequently ordered Ghori’s removal during the meeting.
They believe the decision was taken on the basis of information that did not fully reflect the secretary’s visits to PIMS or his response after the fire.
Why are the accounts conflicting?
The central dispute concerns whether the Prime Minister’s Office received and reviewed reports regarding Ghori’s visits and actions before the fire.
Sources close to the removed secretary maintain that reports were submitted after his August 21 and August 23 visits.
A Prime Minister’s Office source, however, said the prime minister had spoken to both the health secretary and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal but neither informed him about the secretary’s visits or actions concerning PIMS.
If the visits and reports are confirmed, questions could arise over whether Ghori’s removal accurately reflected his role in the period preceding the tragedy.
Conversely, if the reports were not received or were not communicated to the prime minister, questions could arise over the reporting and oversight mechanisms within the health ministry and PIMS administration.
Was there an earlier PIMS fire?
Another issue raised in the accounts concerns an earlier fire at the PIMS children’s hospital in July.
The matter reportedly came up during a meeting on Saturday, with Health Minister Mustafa Kamal telling the prime minister that he had not been informed about the earlier incident.
Sources close to Ghori, meanwhile, said the health secretary himself had not been informed about the July fire.
The conflicting claims could become relevant to the inquiry as investigators examine whether previous warning signs were properly reported and addressed.
What will determine further accountability?
The government’s inquiry into the August 27 fire is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify responsibility at different administrative levels.
The conflicting accounts over Ghori’s hospital visits, the reports allegedly sent to the Prime Minister’s Office and the response to the earlier July fire could form part of the broader accountability question.
The key issue is whether the relevant officials had adequate information about safety and operational problems at PIMS before the tragedy and, if so, whether appropriate action was taken.
Until the inquiry establishes the facts, the competing accounts do not by themselves establish responsibility.
The investigation will therefore be crucial in determining whether Ghori’s removal was justified by his own actions and oversight failures, whether information failed to reach senior decision-makers, or whether responsibility extends to other officials and institutions involved in the administration and safety of PIMS.