Health crisis hits residents, workers following Karuturi hospital closure

By Antony Gitonga                         

Naivasha, Kenya: A health crisis has hit hundreds of flower farm workers and pastoralists in Naivasha following the closure of one of the biggest medical centers.

Operations at Karuturi hospital in South Lake has grounded following the financial crisis that has rocked its mother company Karuturi flower farm.

Electricity and water supply to the ultra-modern facility that was serving up to 300 people per day have been disconnected.

Workers in the facility have gone for six months without salaries as details emerged that medical supply had also run out.

According to a worker who declined to be named, receiver managers who took over the running of Karuturi flower farm had refused to chip in.

He said that the facility which was open to members of the public could not operate due to lack of essential supplies.

“The receiver manager says that he cannot chip in as the health center is registered under a different name,” said the worker.

He noted that due to the impasse, hundreds of workers and patients were undergoing untold suffering.

“This health center serves hundreds of people daily but the current crisis has left both the workers and patients suffering,” he said.

Olkaria MCA Peter Pallang’a confirmed the impasse and called on the ministry of health to intervene.

Pallang’a termed the issue as serious adding that patients were traveling all the way to Naivasha, 30kms away to seek health facilities.

“There is confusion over the running of the facility and this has left workers and patients suffering a lot,” he said.

Last month the parliamentary committee on labor toured the troubled farm after it was placed under receivership.

The committee expressed its concern over the fate of the 28 workers and operations in the health center.

But the receiver manager said that he could not intervene as the facility is registered under a different name from Karuturi flower farm.