Nurse Razia Noreen hailed as hero after rescuing one infant in Islamabad hospital blaze
Nurse Razia Noreen saved a newborn during a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, while the other 14 infants in the nursery perished.
During a fire at Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, nurse Razia Noreen entered the nursery after spotting flames and rescued a single newborn, delivering the child to a doctor after eight seconds of exposure. The rapidly worsening smoke and fire barred further entry, and the other 14 infants in the unit died. CCTV captured her heroic run, and a subsequent inquiry highlighted catastrophic conditions within two minutes, leading to the suspension of eight hospital officials.
The state announced she will receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat award and a financial grant. Noreen, a Christian nurse, described her actions as a duty rather than heroism and expressed lingering trauma over the loss. She thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the nation but asked grieving mothers for forgiveness. The incident also prompted scrutiny of fire safety and emergency response protocols at the facility.
Why it matters
The story underscores the human cost of hospital safety failures and the bravery of frontline health workers.
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