PM Shehbaz hands over Rs 10 mln cheque to nurse who saved newborn during PIMS fire

ISLAMABAD, Sep 03 (APP):Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met nurse Razia Noreen, who saved a newborn’s life during a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), and handed over Rs 10 million cheque in recognition of her extraordinary bravery and sense of duty.

The prime minister said the nation acknowledged the courage and bravery shown by Razia Noreen and that she was a source of pride for the country. He said she performed her duty with great courage and daring, without taking care of her own safety.

He said the mother of the child, she saved, would remember her in prayers for the rest of her life. The prime minister announced that Razia Noreen would be conferred the Tamgha-e-Khidmat on March 23 in recognition of her services.

He said that while the monetary reward carried its own meaning, the real recognition was that she truly deserved this honour.

The prime minister said that all those responsible for the fire incident at PIMS would face strict action, and that the government would make every effort in this regard. He said he had asked the concerned federal minister to fully review the hospital and ensure proper restructuring of the facility. In her remarks, Razia Noreen said she was carrying out her responsibility, as people had entrusted the children to her at that moment and that responsibility rested on her shoulders.

She said that she was happy to receive such recognition and considered herself a role model for all nurses, adding that her fellow nurses work with the same dedication and hard work. She said it was a heartrending incident and that she had tried to save as many other children as possible, but due to the emergency situation she was able to save only one child.

Razia Noreen said that on seeing the fire, she did not think of anything and went straight inside. She stated that she instructed another nurse to save the children, who in turn helped rescue people from outside, including postnatal mothers, some of whom had undergone operations.

She said she rescued a very small baby, the child of Asifa, weighing 1050 grams, and brought him outside. She said that in the resulting rush, a baby could get misplaced, so she handed the child to someone she knew and trusted, identifying the person as Dr Abdul Rehman.

She said she then went back inside to save another child when a blast occurred, followed by darkness and smoke spreading throughout the area. Federal Ministers Syed Mustafa Kamal and Attaullah Tarar were also present on the occasion.