Kabarnet County Referral Hospital risks closure

The Kabarnet County Referral Hospital risks closure following an impromptu visit by officials from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) on Saturday.

National Deputy Director Betty Nzioka who was part of the team said that the hospital sewerage facility is in a pathetic state with effluent water discharged poorly to nearby streams risking people’s lives.

“Sewage lagoon is not treated to the standards required and it can spread very dangerous diseases. There is also a mixture of biomedical waste and the ordinary waste which is against the law,” Nzioka said.

She also noted that the hospital was burning waste near the sewer and discharging the waste into the sewer which is also a violation of the law.

The hospital incinerator was also found to be non-functional, which NEMA officers termed as hazardous.

”We have issued the hospital with a seven-day improvement order to comply, failure to which they will face the full force of the law as it stands,” Nzioka said.

Kabarnet County Referral Hospital becomes the second health facility to undergo recent scrutiny after Kirinyaga County Referral Hospital.