PESHAWAR: The health department has directed hospitals to ensure safe evacuation of staff, patients and their attendants in case of emergency from nurseries, neonatal intensive care units (ICUs), labour rooms and operation theatres besides putting in place measures to keep high-dependency areas unlocked.

The directives were issued by the director-general health services (DGHS), Dr Naeem Awan, to all district health officers (DHOs) and medical superintendents as Health Secretary Fayaz Ali Shah ordered effective fire safety measures in a meeting to protect patients, attendants and healthcare staff in hospitals.

The DGHS’s notification said that in view of the fire incident that occurred at the neonatal unit of Pims Islamabad, the hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must ensure availability of fire-fighting equipment and immediate inspection of the existing fire extinguishers, hydrants, hoses, alarms and related fire-safety devices besides replacement of the faulty ones.

According to it, hospitals should ensure oxygen safety through proper management and placement of cylinders. It said that surplus cylinders should not be kept inside clinical rooms and should be shifted to a designated, secured and appropriate area.

Fire safety bodies to be formed at divisional and district levels for health facilities

“All electrical connections, air-conditioning units, distribution boards, medical equipment and other potential sources of fire shall be inspected and any unsafe or defective equipment shall immediately be isolated and reported to the competent authority for rectification. The hospitals must nominate a staff member as fire warden on every night shift in all nurseries, NICUs, labour rooms and ICUs,” said the notification.

It said that a written emergency evacuation plan should be displayed at prominent locations and staff should be clearly assigned responsibilities for safe and timely evacuation of patients, particularly neonates and other non-ambulatory patients in addition to necessary arrangements for fire and emergency evacuation.

The notification said that all staff members should be familiarised with emergency exits, fire extinguishers and oxygen shut-off points. “Any oxygen-dependent cot/bed located in an area having only one usable means of evacuation shall be relocated immediately or restricted from use until a second safe evacuation route is ensured,” it said.

It said that the directives should be implemented in every subordinate office down to the basic health unit level and a comprehensive physical inspection of all relevant areas should be completed within 72 hours. It added that all facilities should submit a signed certificate of compliance to the director-general health services.

“Any negligence, failure to implement these directions, or continuation of unsafe conditions, particularly locked/obstructed emergency exits, shall be viewed seriously and may invite disciplinary action under relevant rules,” said the notification.

Earlier, health secretary chaired a meeting regarding further strengthening and comprehensively improving of fire safety arrangements in all hospitals and healthcare facilities across the province. The meeting was attended by representatives of Civil Defence, Rescue 1122, and director-general of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the secretary of relief, all medical superintendents and district health officers.

The meeting reviewed existing fire safety arrangements in hospitals across the province, preparedness for dealing with emergencies, response mechanisms and fire safety protocols.

The health secretary directed formation of fire safety committees at divisional and district levels for inspection of all hospitals in their respective areas and preparing comprehensive reports regarding fire safety arrangements, a press release said.

He said that a complete assessment of fire safety arrangements, emergency exit routes, fire-fighting equipment, emergency response mechanisms and other safety measures in all hospitals across the province should be conducted, with a comprehensive report submitted to the department.

The meeting decided that coordination and communication among relevant departments would be further strengthened to ensure timely and effective action in the event of a fire emergency. Necessary measures will also be taken to ensure compliance with fire safety protocols in hospitals.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2026