Security guard goes above and beyond the call of duty
Rechael said Zodwa deserves to be acknowledged as a do the nurses at the hospital who are very sweet, and pray for all the patients in the hospital before every shift in the morning and before the patient’s bedtime.
When Rechael Olivier (24) checked into the Far East Rand Hospital (FERH) last year to have her baby she was terrified.
Her previous stays at other hospitals had been traumatic and she feared this one wouldn’t be any different.
What she didn’t expect was to meet Zodwa Buthelezi, a security guard, who was an angel in disguise.
Rechael’s water broke on the night the country went into level five lockdown last March and she was admitted that same evening.
Also read: Preparing your child for hospitalisation
Due to her labour not progressing, she was induced on the Saturday and every time she walked down the halls of FERH, Zodwa, who works by the admin section, was there to look after her and constantly inquired about her wellbeing.
On Monday, Olivier delivered her baby, Madison Harmony Gunter, via C-section.
“I’m petrified of hospitals and I was crying like a baby when they told me I had to stay here.
“Every time I left my room, Zodwa was there; she took care of me.
“The first night I got here, I told her I was dying for coffee. The next morning she made me a cup of coffee, with sugar and powdered milk in her cup.
“At the beginning of lockdown, nobody was allowed in, but she let my husband bring me my cellphone charger and she took photos of my daughter to send to my family.
“It’s because of Zodwa that I did not sign out early.
“She did the the same thing for my sister-in-law a year later when she had her baby at FERH.
“She arranged that my sister-in-law got a change of clothes, pads and underwear. She was always willing to help,” said Rechael.
Also read: Far East Rand Hospital now accepting visitors
Rechael said Zodwa deserves to be acknowledged as do the nurses at the hospital who she described as very sweet and who pray for all the patients in the hospital in the mornings and evenings.
Zodwa said what she did for Rechael and her sister-in-law is what she would have done for anybody.
“I had my baby here in 2013 and I told her it was a good hospital and asked that she give them a chance.
“I’ve been working here since November 2017, so I have the experience of being both a patient and an employee of the hospital.
“I’m a people’s person and just last week I had another former patient who came by and dropped off some food for me.
“I enjoy what I do,” said Zodwa.
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