Proposed Salgaa trauma centre to take longer to build

The construction of a multi-million trauma centre proposed by former President Mwai Kibaki in Nakuru 10 years ago will take longer than expected due to inadequate funding, the Nation has learnt.

The centre meant to assist road crash victims has stalled despite the fact that Sh70 million had already been pumped into the project.

The project now remains in limbo despite the high number of deaths attributed to road carnage reported on the Nakuru-Sobea-Salgaa-Sachang'wan stretch along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

ROAD DEATHS

For instance in December 2017 alone, more than 100 people died in grisly road crashes.

The trauma centre, meant to save the lives of crash victims, was initially supposed to be built at Salgaa trading centre but was moved to the Nakuru Level Five Hospital, about 18 kilometres away.

“There was need for a trauma centre and a standby ambulance at the Sobea-Salgaa-Sachangwan black spot. Every time an accident occurs we are forced to ferry victims to Nakuru Level Five hospital, “said a St John Ambulance volunteer who sought anonymity.

At the hospital, the trauma centre remains stalled with only a two-storey structure that remains incomplete.

The structure has no doors or windows and the contractor quietly abandoned the project.

DEVOLUTION

According to the hospital’s Medical Superintendent Joseph Mburu, the project whose construction started in 2012 stalled at the advent of devolution.

“The project is still under the control of the national government and has never been handed over to us. At the time it stalled about Sh70 million had been pumped into the project. Its completion will greatly help accident victims,” said Dr Mburu.

The project, according to Dr Mburu, was under the then Ministry of Special Programmes.

But county executive in charge of Health, Dr Zachary Gichuki, said the county government is keen to follow up and ensure the national government completes the project.

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

“The project is a national government project, but the county will make a follow-up so that its constructions is completed,” Dr Gichuki said.

He also revealed that the county government now plans to establish a level four hospital in Rongai to also help serve road crash victims especially along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

“The trauma centre was moved to Nakuru Level Five Hospital which is a central place to serve residents and accident victims from even neighbouring counties. The trauma centre also had to be under a hospital providing other services,” said Dr Gichuki.

The trauma centre was initiated in response to the 2009 Sachangwan fire tragedy, on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway in which more than 130 people perished in a fuel tanker explosion.

It is after the explosion that President Kibaki’s administration announced that the centre would be constructed along the busy highway at Salgaa trading centre.

However, a visit to the expansive parcel of land at Salgaa earmarked for the centre established that the place had been abandoned after a decision was made to move it to Nakuru Level Five Hospital.