Pakistani Nurse Who Saved Newborn in Hospital Fire to Receive National Honour
Nurse Razia Noreen, who saved a newborn from a deadly hospital nursery fire in Islamabad, will receive Pakistan's Sitara-i-Khidmat award and a cash prize.
A Pakistani nurse who risked her life to save a newborn from a blazing hospital nursery is to be honoured with one of the country's highest civilian awards. Razia Noreen rescued the sole survivor of a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad that killed 14 other infants.
CCTV footage, widely shared online, shows Noreen rushing into the smoke-filled nursery and emerging seconds later clutching the baby. She attempted to go back inside but was blocked by flames and thick smoke. The fire spread through the nursery within about two minutes, according to an inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Speaking to a local broadcaster, a tearful Noreen said she did not act for recognition. "I did not do it for a reward. I love children, and caring for them is my passion," she said. She added that she was heartbroken she could not save the others and that the memory continues to haunt her. "I cannot sleep. Those babies do not let me sleep."
Noreen will receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat (Star of Service), awarded for distinguished public service, along with a cash prize of about $36,000. The announcement drew widespread praise online.
The prime minister lauded her exceptional courage and devotion to duty. Following the inquiry, eight hospital officials have been suspended and disciplinary proceedings initiated. Sharif has also ordered criminal proceedings against those found responsible. Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
The tragedy has prompted a broader review of fire-safety measures at hospitals across Pakistan. It is among the country's deadliest recent incidents involving children; in June, 14 schoolchildren died when a roof collapsed at a tutoring centre in Lahore.