PMDC to make fire safety training mandatory for house officers

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to introduce mandatory fire safety education and training for house officers in medical and dental colleges across Pakistan, in a move aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness and improving the safety of patients, doctors, students and healthcare staff.

The fire safety program will be incorporated into the house job, with dedicated training hours covering fire safety awareness, emergency drills, patient safety and appropriate evacuation procedures to be followed during a fire emergency.

The decision was announced by President Pakistan Medical & Dental Council Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, who stressed that healthcare professionals must be prepared to respond effectively when a fire emergency occurs, rather than depending solely on designated emergency response teams.

Under the planned program, house officers will receive practical training in several areas that could prove critical during a hospital fire, including identifying fire hazards, using fire extinguishers, following designated evacuation routes and communicating emergencies effectively.

Regular fire safety drills and evacuation exercises will also be conducted in medical colleges and teaching hospitals. The objective is to establish a culture in which healthcare workers are familiar with emergency procedures and can respond promptly and effectively when lives may be at risk.

The move follows a comprehensive review of existing fire safety protocols and the identification of areas requiring improvement. PMDC said the review highlighted the need to strengthen fire safety education and awareness across institutions operating under its regulatory umbrella.

Medical colleges and teaching hospitals will be required to maintain vigorous fire safety arrangements and effective emergency preparedness measures to protect house officers, students, patients, healthcare professionals and other staff.

Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj emphasized that hospitals accommodate some of the most vulnerable members of society, many of whom may be unable to evacuate independently or respond quickly during an emergency. He therefore called for medical institutions to strengthen existing fire prevention and emergency response measures.

The PMDC president also indicated that the initiative could eventually go beyond house officers. He expressed interest in expanding fire safety education to medical students, postgraduate trainees and, ultimately, all healthcare professionals, describing the ability to respond to fire emergencies as an essential skill for healthcare workers globally.

The regulator's approach places particular emphasis on preparedness before an emergency occurs. Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj said PMDC intends to promote safer, higher-quality learning environments and establish protocols focused on emergency preparedness rather than relying exclusively on emergency response teams after an incident has already begun.

The proposed training therefore represents a broader shift toward integrating hospital fire safety, emergency evacuation and disaster preparedness into healthcare education, giving young doctors practical knowledge that can be used to protect themselves and others during potentially life-threatening incidents.

PMDC said it is committed to addressing identified gaps promptly and improving fire-emergency preparedness among students, house officers, healthcare professionals, patients and hospital staff across medical and dental institutions.

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