After a long court battle 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 health 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 the nation at large.
The American priest 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 a 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.
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 Hivisasa at the facility, the Administrator Seth Mandera said; “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."
“We are ready to handle the emergency cases especially form the busy highway that we neighbour,” Mandera said.
The facility already has enough staff with three having been absorbed from the sister Medical Training Institute.
Joseph Ng'era, a renowned Nakuru businessman who initially funded the construction of St Mary's Hospital is reportedly a co-owner of the new hospital.
Fr Fryda is a trained oncologist (cancer specialist).
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