Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, Sept. 2, praised a Christian nurse who risked her life to rescue an infant from a hospital fire that killed 14 newborns last week.
Sharif met Staff Nurse Razia Noreen at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad and commended her courage during the Aug. 26 fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a major government hospital in the federal capital.
The fire broke out at about 7 a.m. in the mother-and-child health ward, where 15 newborns were being cared for. Noreen managed to rescue one infant, while the other 14 died, according to officials.The tragedy sparked widespread public outrage and prompted lawmakers in both houses of Parliament to demand accountability. A government inquiry has since found serious failures in fire safety and emergency response at the hospital, leading to the suspension of eight officials and disciplinary action against those responsible.
Noreen became widely known after CCTV footage showed her running into the smoke-filled nursery and emerging seconds later with an infant in her arms. She attempted to return to the nursery to rescue more children but was unable to re-enter because of the rapidly spreading flames and thick smoke.
Noreen told Sharif on Thursday that she was preparing medication when she suddenly saw the fire.
“I threw the cabinet door shut and rushed inside,” she said. “I didn’t even think about it.” She said she also told another nurse to “save the kids” and entered the nursery as the fire intensified.
Noreen managed to rescue one of the smaller babies and carried him outside, where she handed him to a doctor before rushing back toward the nursery. “When Dr Abdul Rehman came out, I handed [the baby] over and rushed back inside,” she said.
As she attempted to rescue another baby, however, a sudden blast caused a blackout, she said. Noreen said she wished she could have saved the other children.
Sharif told Noreen that the entire nation was proud of her courage and described her as “a daughter of the nation.”
“The mother of the child you saved will bless you,” he said, adding that her actions would be remembered in history.
The prime minister said Noreen would receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat (Star of Service), one of Pakistan’s civilian honors, at the Pakistan Day award investiture ceremony on March 23. He also presented her with a check for 10 million Pakistani rupees (approximately $36,000).
Sharif had previously approved the award, saying Noreen had “saved a child without regard for her own life.”
“Razia Noreen has demonstrated an exceptional sense of responsibility and humanity,” he said. “The entire nation, including myself, is proud of Nurse Razia Noreen for risking her own life to save the child.”
Noreen thanked the prime minister but said she had not acted for recognition or reward. “Saving the babies was my responsibility as a nurse,” she told Sharif.
In an earlier interview, Noreen said that she had been deeply affected by the deaths of the other infants and had struggled to sleep since the tragedy.
The hospital fire remains the subject of an investigation, while the deaths of the 14 newborns have intensified concerns over fire-safety standards and emergency preparedness at government hospitals across Pakistan.
