Woman claims harassment at FERH
A Boksburg woman claims she was harassed at Far East Rand Hospital last Friday morning.
Anne-Marie Swanepoel (35) says she went to FERH for treatment after she had an epileptic seizure.
“I have been suffering from epileptic seizures since the age of 19 and came to FERH because of the fire at Tambo Memorial Hospital,” says Swanepoel.
She claims she attempted to step outside in the early hours of Friday morning to have a cigarette when she was stopped by a sister in the ward who allegedly told her that she must smoke inside the ward’s bathroom.
She then refused and told her that it is against the law to smoke inside a building, much less a hospital.
When she spoke to the shift supervisor, she told her that she can smoke outside.
She later went for another cigarette and was then told by a security guard that she is not allowed to go outside.
“At this time, my husband Jacobus was with me, and I tried going past the security guard,” she says.
He allegedly closed the gate and refused to let her pass, trying to stop her from leaving the building.
“He grabbed my chest and held on, turning to my husband and smirking at him,” she says.
“I was furious when he did this as he held on for a couple of seconds and I just started shouting ‘sexual abuse‘ and he eventually let go.”
When they managed to get outside, the security guard allegedly followed the couple to their vehicle where he further harassed the pair.
“My husband politely asked him to leave us alone,” says Swanepoel.
Swanepoel says she laid a written complaint at the hospital but has not yet heard anything.
“The reason I am speaking up is to teach my four-year-old daughter to stand up for herself and not let anyone walk over her, I want something done about this.”
Hendrik Buda, spokesman for FERH says it was established that the patient is an epileptic patient thus making her a high risk patient.
“Patients that are categorised as high risk cannot be left to wander around the hospital without an escort nurse or a security officer,” he says.
He adds that the sister in charge of the ward confirmed that the patient could smoke her electronic cigarette in the toilet, this cigarette was shown to the sister in charge by the patient.
“The security officer in charge of the ward was preventing the patient from exiting the unit by blocking the exit with his hand, this is when the patient tried to force her way through, thus causing the contact.”
He concludes by saying that the security officer denies grabbing her breast, but admits that the shuffle resulted in him holding back the patient.
