NAROWAL: A fire broke out on the second floor of the children’s ward of the Narowal District Headquarters Hospital on Friday, triggering the evacuation of 40 child patients and five women.
Rescue 1122 extinguished the fire. The attendants and security guards shifted patients to other wards.
Hassan Iqbal and Naseem Ahmed, who were present in the ward to attend to their sons, said the airconditioner’s chiller in the ward exploded due to a short circuit and soon the fire broke out.
Attendants Umar Sharif and Shahbaz said the fire filled the smoke in the ward, which caused problems in the evacuation activity.
Dr Aitzaz Iqbal, assistant medical superintendent, said that 20 children were under treatment in the room where the fire broke out. Five newborn babies and their mothers were in the infant ward, who were affected by the fumes. They were safely shifted to other wards by the security guards. He said the ward would be rehabilitated in two days.
Dr Khalid Javed, health CEO of the District Health Authority, said there was no loss of life or injury due to the fire in the ward.
Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2022
