ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Staff nurse Razia Noreen is receiving national recognition for her bravery during a deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), but she says the trauma of losing 14 newborns continues to haunt her eight days after the incident.
On the morning of August 26, Noreen was working the dawn medication round in the PIMS nursery when she noticed a sharp red light emanating from an air-conditioning unit. Without hesitation, she alerted her colleague, Sister Nasreen, telling them to save the babies, and rushed into the smoke-filled ward.
Security camera timestamps recorded by a government inquiry show that Noreen entered the nursery at 6:38:56 am and emerged eight seconds later carrying one infant. She attempted to re-enter to rescue more children, but thick smoke and rapidly spreading flames made it impossible. By 6:40 am, the nursery was engulfed.
Fifteen newborns were in the ward at the time. Fourteen died; the single infant Noreen carried out was the only survivor.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif awarded Noreen the Sitara-i-Khidmat (Star of Service) civil honor and presented her with a cheque for 10 million Pakistani rupees (approximately $36,000). During their meeting, Sharif praised her as “the nation’s daughter” and stated her actions would be remembered “in golden letters” in Pakistan’s history.
However, Noreen described ongoing physical and psychological distress. She reported suffering from high fevers and a persistent cough caused by inhaling smoke, stating she has not slept since the fire. “When I close my eyes, I see the same babies, the mothers’ screams, and the babies’ screams,” she told Al Jazeera. “That is what keeps me awake.”
The government’s interim inquiry, submitted on August 28, concluded that the precise cause of the fire remains unestablished, though evidence points to the air conditioner, an incubator, or an electrical short circuit. The report also cleared frontline staff of abandoning the newborns, noting that doctors and nurses attempted multiple rescue efforts before being forced back by the intensity of the blaze.
Noreen, 38, has spent 21 years in government nursing, with the last 17 at PIMS. She recalled that she and Sister Nasreen were the only nurses on duty for the 15 infants, a staffing ratio she described as routine due to heavy workloads and long shifts.
She emphasized the need for better safety protocols, including regular fire drills, accessible extinguishers, and clear evacuation routes for non-ambulatory patients. No fire drills had been conducted in the nursery prior to the tragedy, despite a previous fire at a nearby PIMS hostel in July.
The sole survivor, a premature baby weighing just over one kilogram, remains in critical condition in the neonatal intensive care unit. Noreen met the infant’s mother, Asifa, for the first time prior to her meeting with the prime minister. “She hugged me and thanked me, and I cried with her because my heart remains with the other children,” Noreen said.
Reflecting on her profession, Noreen described nurses as the “first mothers” to newborns separated from their parents. Yet, when asked about the deaths, her response was unequivocal: “I do regret it. I could not save the rest of the children. That, I regret.”
Eight seconds to save one life is unimaginably fast. Her heroism is undeniable, but the systemic failures are terrifying.
Why were there no fire drills? This could have been prevented with basic safety protocols and proper staffing levels.
The Prime Minister honoring her feels hollow when the government clearly failed these infants. Where was the funding?
I’m struggling to process this. She saved one baby in eight seconds while the rest perished. That must be pure torture.
She deserves support, not just a medal. The psychological trauma she describes is severe and long-term care is essential.