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Open letter to Baragwanath Hospital
Councillor Alison van der Molen was horrifed by her experience at Bara and has submitted the following open letter:
CLLR ALISON VAN DER MOLEN
REGION B - WARD 102
25 May 2009
ATT: Johanna More
Acting CEO Baragwanath Hospital
FAX: 011 938 1005
Dear Ms More
OPEN LETTER - Bara Hospital: Needs a Florence Nightingale culture? It needs a miracle!
The conclusion I reached on Saturday, 16 May 2009, after the treatment I received at the hands of security officials at Baragwanath Hospital, is that your loved one can be dying or dead and you will not be allowed to found out their status before the 14.00 visiting time.
This conclusion is very disturbing!
The events leading up to this conclusion played out as follows:
On Friday, 15 May, a staff member from my husband’s shop was checked in for an emergency operation. On Saturday, 16 May, I arrived at Baragwanath just before 09.00 so as to find out what had happened as his wife was very concerned and could not come to the hospital herself.
Gate security waves you through without hesitation giving you directions that send you to an entrance but fail to tell you where to park. The second guard at the building site directs you to an area near the maternity section where it indicates NO PARKING but tells you park there regardless.
As you enter the side entrance a female security officer tries to ignore you as best she can whilst you enquire where you could find out the status of a patient and then waves you off to the Admin Section. On arriving at Admin, a very nice male security officer tells you that he cannot assist you and directs you back the way you came!
As you now wander down the corridor quite bewildered, you arrive at the pedestrian entrance where about four female officers and one male officer check people entering the building. I ask the perfectly reasonable question of “Where do I enquire about a patient?”
The exchange went along the lines of:
Security: “Come back at 14.00!”
Me: “Can no one tell me where a patient is and if they are ok?
Security: “Enquires are closed. Come back at 14.00.”
Me: “What if he is dead? How can I find out?”
Security: “You can find out at 14.00. What ward is he in?”
Me: “I don’t know. That is what I need to find out. I am supposed to contact one of the doctors but I cannot reach the person on my phone. The call keeps cancelling.”
Security: “Why don’t you phone the doctor?”
Me: “I have just told you why.” And duly show them. “Could I use a landline to contact the doctor?”
Security: “It doesn’t work. What’s wrong with him?”
Me: “I cannot disclose that to you. It is actually not your business. Not to worry, I will find someone who can help me.” (I was now frustrated and very upset.)
I turn to walk back the way I came when Security Officer Hlele (male) rushes me and grabs my arm. I was stunned and threw my arm up dislodging his grip at which he jumps in front of me and physically pushes me back. Not even in the SAPS is a male police office allowed to treat a woman like this! This was absolutely shocking!
After a couple of calls I managed to locate the doctor concerned. Some more security officers arrived but just stood and stared at me as I contacted the head office of MABOTWANE Security on 011 333 7002. They put me in touch with ABEL on 083 457 9263 at 09.13 who told me he would come back to me.
In the interim, the relevant doctor arrived and I was taken to Casualty where I was assisted with the information which I asked for. So simple!
Just to add to Mabotwane’s lack of service to me, to the Government who pays them and the hospital which they are supposed to protect, as I left Gate Security had to ask me if my car had been searched. Beautiful!
At 11.40 I phoned Abel of Mabotwane Security back and asked him how much longer I would have to wait for him to revert to me about the situation. He still did not have any answers for me whatsoever. I explained to him that because of this incident I was going to send out an open letter to the Acting Executive Director of Baragwanath and that is exactly what I am doing.
I trust that constructive feedback will be received!
Yours truly,
ALISON VAN DER MOLEN
Councillor for Ward 102, City of Joburg
CELL: 083 459 9325
PHONE: 011 718 9600
FAX: 011 718 9760
E-MAIL: alisonvdm@joburg.org.za
GOOD SUPERVISOR FROM YOUR COMPANY
on 17 May 2010 at about 8pm I visited Chris Hani Hosp because my wife was sick there.It was an emergency and I was called from work.
I met a nicely dressed officer,he was a senior at that gate. He was welcoming to me,his face was familiar to me from that hospital.
His name is W K NDEBELE thats the type of security officers we could love to work with them at the hospital.Thanks to your company for posting such officers at the gate where everyone goes through.
I WAS IMPRESSED.
Bara security guards r a law unto themselves
I am a female doctor providing specialist surgical care full time at Bara, and I too am harassed daily by the private security company at Bara. Security was beefed up after various shocking crimes at Bara's.
In 2007 a doctor on duty was accosted & raped on her rounds past the Blood bank. In the same year gunmen stormed the trauma ward and gunned down a patient who had apparently survived the initial attempt.
So an elaborate expensive window dressing exercise was established to give the impression that security is high priority. Unfortunately it appears to be an annoyance geared at harassing and obstructing those that are obviously not a threat.
Doctors are apparently one of the main targets in the crack down on violent crime. After all we must be sure that these damn doctors aren't concealing dangerous weapons or hiding their victim’s bodies in their boots. And u know how they have this propensity for jacking cars!
So to be as effective as possible, at peak hours when all those suspicious looking doctors are either trying to get in or leave it averages 20minutes waiting in line to exit the boom. Many of us r on emergency call at other hospitals or have to attend important academic meetings or in a hurry to deliver lectures etc. And low and behold the security check procedure one car at a time in as urgent a manner as possible.
Even if it's quite obvious that I am staff, clearly have a key in my ignition, I must apparently switch off my car & open my boot & then endure the maniac who while rifling through my possessions jams something in the lock mechanism & then keeps slamming my boot lid repeatedly nearly off the hinges to force it closed instead of just moving the obstruction out the way. I wonder whose
account I should submit the damage to. This can happen multiple times on the same day or night as one responds to calls at the other hospitals we cover.
Sadly, there is no rhyme or reason to the process. Taxis are allowed to drive into Bara's internal Hospital streets, obstructing the movement of emergency vehicles stopping anywhere they want. They then leave through the boom gate without being asked to switch off the vehicle & without the vehicle or passengers being searched.
Neither r canopied bakkies searched. Neither r messenger bikes. It seems that it is only possible for weapons or stolen goods to be concealed in a car (usually a German sedan) with an actual boot. Yes, we have it - the root of all evil in the world - the car boot!
As if this isn't enough, the rampant illegal clamping of wheels by the security company for apparent parking violations. The fact that there is no signage up warning anyone that it's a wheel clamping zone. This has happened to me & a colleague who had every right to park in the casualty doctors parking area while responding to a call for an emergency consult in casualty.
The guards then attempted to extort R50 from us to unclamp. Telling him we were doctors was inadequate for him, because we should have found him wherever he may have been and told before we parked there. And this is merely a small taste of the theatre of absurd that is Bara! The daily battle to fight against not to be thwarted by the system & lack of the most basic essentials to serve our patients can be seen to takes it toll in the overworked, defeated eyes of so many of the brave doctors of Bara.
To my mind, the security company is hired by & mandated by the CEO and hence acts on his/her behalf. Responsibility for any harm suffered by the public to self or property viz. Emotional trauma, assault or willful damage property executed be said company rests with the CEO.
Mabotwane Security @ Bara Hospital
On the 25 Sep 2011, I went to visit a patient @ Bara. I got there @ about 15:20 & the security didn’t want to open the gate for me, telling me that the visiting hours are almost over so I must come back the next day. I insisted to get in as the visiting hours are end 16h00. He got furious with me & told me that there is no parking. I went out from my car & told him that I will walk to the wards then. He ended up opening the gate that was about 16:00 already. I got to see the patient for a few min since I explained to the nurses of what had happened.
When I was leaving, I was searched by 2 securities before I got to the gate, When I got to the gate there was another security who told me to switch my engine off & on again (which I did). They opened the "boom gate" for me & As I was about to leave the gate closed on me. I got out of the car & all(bout 8security guards) started shouting @ me, that i should have waited for the signal from them. I told them that the other security said I should go hence the gate was open. I saw that their gate had sparks & had got 2 of my tires punched.
So I asked them to help me & they were still insisting that I was wrong & that I move myself out of the way. They started speaking Venda/TshiTsonga with me which I told them I don’t understand & that they should speak a language that I can understand, They laughed @ me (both security men & ladies). I asked to see their supervisor & they told me that they don’t report to anyone & I should go to the police station if I have a problem.
They told me that the boom gate was not their responsibility as it has a sensor & it open & closes itself. They are just there to search. They said it’s not their problem if Bara doesn’t service its gates. I was really angered by these security & they called one guy who was speaking Sotho & I thought he was there to help but when I told him what had happened, He told me that it is must fault & that I don’t have respect since I was raising my voice on him. He wanted to fight with me & a security called Kevin (who was waiting for transport) stopped him. He calmed me down & helped me to move my car to the side.
The day shift left without even helping / trying to help since I had entered the Bara Premises @ my own risk (which they told me). When the night shift guards came, they asked what had happened & one of them took us to a guy who told us that the day shift guards should have written a report of the incident that happened. So he took a statement from us & told us that it will be investigated.
I saw that I that I am not going to receive any help from the guards so I called for my own help. I was really disappointed in how this matter was handled & I haven't heard anything from the Mabotwane Security.
If these guards knew what their job entails & if they respected what they do, they would know how to respect themselves & other people.
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