After long court battle loss over ownership and management of St.Mary’s Gilgil and Lang’ata Hospitals in Nakuru and Nairobi counties respectively Fr. William Charles Fryda is back again in Gilgil with a new heath facility ‘St.Joseph’s Rift valley Hospital.
This is in what seems to be his dream of ensuring affordable healthcare to the people who cannot afford the expensive health facilities in Nakuru County and nation at large.
The American priest who founded but eventually got chucked out, controversially and later charged with alleged fraud, by the Catholic Sisters of Assumption from the pro-poor St Mary’s Gilgil and Lang’ata, Nairobi after founding and running it successfully.
Despite losing out in the court case, Fr.Fryda believes service to humanity must continue and his passion to serve the community has seen the emergence of the new health facility that shares fence with the St.Mary’s Hospital in Gilgil.
The New St.Joseph’s Rift valley Hospital occupies one wing of the Medical Training Institute that was also founded by Fr.Fryda.
The New St Joseph’s Hospital offers services at a low and affordable and also very good quality health and working conditions for hospital workers.
Currently with 47 staff and a 28 bed ward capacity though might be expanded as there is more room for expansion.
In a Monday interview with this writer at the facility, the Administrator Seth Mandera said this is in line with Fr.Fryda’s mission and passion tom serve humanity.
While lauding members of the community within and without Nakuru County, Mandera noted that patients had already started flocking in the facility an indicator of thirsty for affordable health services.
“This facility comes in line with Fr.Fryda’s mission to serve humanity. Since we opened this facility this morning we have been able to see over 50 patients something that is unusual” said the facility administrator.
The facility which currently is not covered by NHIF healthcare insurance operates on cash and Fr Fryda wants to maintain the lowest costs possible with the inpatient charges at sh.500 per day.
The administrator adds that the drugs at their pharmacy also going at a buy price which patients can afford.
The facility owing to the fact that is situated along the busy Nakuru-Nairobi Highway is ready to handle any cases of emergency and administrator Mandera says they have all the equipments with fully equipped Theatre and X-Ray services.
“We are ready to handle the emergency cases especially form our busy highway that we neighbor” he said.
The facility already has enough staff with three having been absorbed form the sister Medical Training Institute.
Mr. Joseph Ng’era a renowned Nakuru businessman who’d initially funded the construction of St Mary’s is reportedly a co-owner of the new hospital.
The New Hospital Director is Mr. Peter Lemayian.
Meanwhile, a spot check at the St Mary’s Hospital that is now run by the Catholic Sisters of Assumption no many activities with some sources arguing that the community around have deserted the facility and opting for the new facility St.Joseph’s Rift valley Hospital under the leadership of Fr.Fryda.
Fr Fryda, a trained oncologist (cancer specialist).