📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Miansari66
Health
Pakistan announces Rs5 million compensation for families of infants killed in hospital fire
✍️ ThePrint
🗓 29 Aug 2026, 08:39 AM
👁 2
The Pakistani government has pledged a compensation of five million rupees to each family of the infants who died in a recent hospital fire, according to ThePrint.
Islamabad officials said the compensation package, amounting to PKR 5 million per bereaved family, will be disbursed through the relevant health ministries within the next few weeks. The decision follows a tragic blaze at a neonatal intensive care unit that claimed the lives of several infants and left many parents grieving.
The fire, which broke out late last month, prompted an immediate investigation by federal authorities to determine the cause and to assess safety lapses in the facility. While the inquiry is ongoing, the government has emphasized its commitment to support the affected families and to improve safety standards in hospitals nationwide.
Health Minister Dr. Faisal Sultan reiterated that the compensation is intended to provide financial relief to families who have lost their newborns, and urged hospitals to adopt stricter fire‑prevention protocols. The announcement has been welcomed by bereaved relatives, though they also called for accountability and systemic reforms.
The compensation scheme will be funded from the national disaster relief fund, and families will need to submit official documentation to claim the amount. Authorities have pledged to expedite the process to ensure timely assistance.
The incident has reignited a broader debate on hospital infrastructure safety across Pakistan, with civil society groups urging the government to allocate more resources for fire safety upgrades in medical facilities.
The fire, which broke out late last month, prompted an immediate investigation by federal authorities to determine the cause and to assess safety lapses in the facility. While the inquiry is ongoing, the government has emphasized its commitment to support the affected families and to improve safety standards in hospitals nationwide.
Health Minister Dr. Faisal Sultan reiterated that the compensation is intended to provide financial relief to families who have lost their newborns, and urged hospitals to adopt stricter fire‑prevention protocols. The announcement has been welcomed by bereaved relatives, though they also called for accountability and systemic reforms.
The compensation scheme will be funded from the national disaster relief fund, and families will need to submit official documentation to claim the amount. Authorities have pledged to expedite the process to ensure timely assistance.
The incident has reignited a broader debate on hospital infrastructure safety across Pakistan, with civil society groups urging the government to allocate more resources for fire safety upgrades in medical facilities.