The Ministry of Public Service has been blamed for delaying the opening of the Sh1 billion Othaya Level Six Hospital.
“I reminded the President about the hospital during a meeting with him at Sagana and he showed concern saying the hospital has to be operationalised soon,” Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga said.
The governor also claimed that the delay had to do with the transfer of Principal Secretary Peter Tum from the Ministry of Health.
At the same time Kahiga denied that he is behind the delay in opening the facility. He accused people he did not name of misleading the public about the facility.
There have been allegations that the hospital has not been opened due to differences between the county and national governments.
The governor said the transfer Tum was a blow to the operationalisation of the Sh1 billion facility meant to be a teaching and referral hospital.
Kahiga said leaders had agreed that the hospital be managed by the national government it as the county was struggling to manage other health facilities.
“Out of the budget of Sh5.4 billion, Sh2.7 billion is allocated to the health sector which is half of our budget and the county was unable to manage an extra facility,” he said.
The construction of the Othaya hospital started 10 years ago. It has been completed and equipped.
Kahiga announced that Nyeri will acquire a CT (computed tomography) scan in a fortnight to save patients the cost of seeking the specialised treatment in private hospitals.
