Cape mom feels let down by hospitals as autistic son's emergency 'not taken seriously'

Jarred Bougaardt. Picture: Supplied

Jarred Bougaardt. Picture: Supplied

Published Jul 3, 2019

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Cape Town - Government hospitals are often being caught in a predicament when they have to choose which patient to help first and are castigated by the rest.

This was the case with Jade Bougaardt from Eerste River, who approached various government hospitals seeking help for her autistic son Jarred Bougaardt and has become frustrated with the services.

Jarred has a condition known as Septo-optic dysplasia which is a brain dysfunction that causes one to act abnormally. He is severely autistic, blind and unable to verbally express his pain and the parent feels that such individuals should be given the same attention offered to other emergency patients.

Jade said she approached Groote Schuur Hospital after being turned away from Tygerberg hospital, Red Cross hospital and False Bay hospital.

“We went to the emergency unit because my son’s behaviour was out of control. It took six adults to keep him down. He was not seen as a priority and not taken seriously enough by the doctors, we feel that we have been let down by the system as a whole,” Jade said.

However, Mark van der Heever, deputy director of communications for the Western Cape Government Health, said according to reports, the child was not seen to be in a real life-threatening condition in comparison to the other patients in the emergency unit.

“The emergency centres are the entry points into the public hospitals and therefore face the brunt of the pressure, when dealing with motor vehicle accidents and other trauma-

related incidents,” said Heever.

Jarred’s grandmother Debbie Gunning said they are struggling financially to meet the needs of his medical condition.

They are fundraising and are

asking the public to assist via his facebook page:  Support Jarred Ethan Bourgaardt.

@Sukainaish

[email protected]

Cape Argus

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