ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has made fire-safety training and emergency drills mandatory for house officers following the PIMS hospital fire that killed 14 newborn babies last month.
Under the programme, house officers at medical and dental institutions will receive practical instruction in identifying fire hazards, operating firefighting equipment and safely evacuating patients during emergencies.
PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said the training would become part of the house-job programme, with medical colleges and teaching hospitals required to conduct regular practical fire drills.
The council also plans to review existing fire-safety protocols at medical and dental colleges across the country as part of a broader effort to improve emergency preparedness.
PMDC is considering extending the programme to medical students and postgraduate trainees, and eventually to healthcare professionals more broadly.
The initiative follows the August 26 fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, which killed 14 newborns and prompted investigations into fire precautions and emergency procedures at the hospital.