Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja has lashed out at Governor Susan Kihika for the impasse around Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.
The senator accused the governor and senior officials of using dictatorial powers to grab a private institute, warning that they were fighting a losing battle.
Karanja alleged that some of the patients had died while being transferred, adding that she would petition the Senate to intervene over the two-week dispute.
This came as she said that the health sector in the county was on its knees due to poor management, low morale among workers and lack of medical supplies to health centres.
In the last two weeks, the county has taken over the management of the private entity and closed it down leading to an outcry from members of the public.
Addressing the press in Naivasha, Karanja termed the crisis as the lowest moment for the health department in the county.
She said that more than 200 workers had lost their jobs due to the impasse, while the management was living in fear due to the threats by the county officials.
“This county government has totally failed in the health sector but it still wants to take over one of the best managed private hospitals and this raises a major alarm.”
Karanja said that the facility was one of the best in dialysis services, noting that the closure had affected tens of patients who had to seek services elsewhere.
She alleged that some of the patients who were illegally transferred from the facility while receiving treatment had passed on, adding that she would ask the Senate to investigate this.
“Tens of health centres across the county do not have medical supplies or human capital but instead of addressing this, the top management is after private businesses,” she said.
The UDA senator warned that the move was setting a bad precedent and eroding investor confidence, adding that the private entity had all the legal documents.
“The county is picking a war that it cannot win and the governor, who is a lawyer, knows better and it's time that we respected the law,” she said.
Last week, Environment and Land Court judge Milicent Odeny quashed the decision by the land registrar, Nakuru District, to cancel the certificate of lease for the said land.
Odeny also barred the respondents in the suit (land registrar and Attorney General) from investigating or in any way dealing with the land.
