Cape Town - Police are investigating a case of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), after a Delft woman was allegedly assaulted by a staff member at Eerste River Hospital.
At their home on Wednesday, where 52-year-old Florence Rafu is recovering from the injuries she sustained while in hospital, her family say they are disheartened and upset about the ordeal.
Rafu informed her daughter, Nomawethu Liwani, that she was not feeling well and requested that she call an ambulance, which later took her to the hospital on March 16.
“The last thing I remember was being in the ambulance and I remember losing consciousness. I then woke up at Eerste River Hospital and I was attended to by the nurses. A few days later I realised that I was at Tygerberg Hospital and no longer at Eerste River. When I asked one of the nurses why I was at Tygerberg, she said it was due to the injuries I sustained at Eerste River,” Rafu said.
Rafu said she was shocked when she then realised that her face was swollen and she had a broken leg .
“I asked the nurses why I had bruises on my face, and they said I fell off the hospital bed while I was going to the restroom. I told them I don’t remember going there but they were adamant and said it might’ve been my husband that beat me up.
“I told them that’s impossible, because when I arrived at Eerste River I didn't have any injuries, but all of a sudden my face was swollen, I had a blue eye and my leg was broken.
“I was in so much pain, even now I’m still in pain as both my legs have swelled up. I could feel that I was beaten up. I don’t ever want to be admitted at a hospital ever again, I’m scared after what they did to me,” Rafu said.
Rafu’s sister, Nosisa Tandani, alleged when she reported the incident to Eerste River Hospital, she was given the run around by the hospital staff and not assisted.
“The nurses contacted my niece and told her that they mustn’t visit their mother as she’s very sick – that means they were lying to us, they didn’t want us to see the bruises on her face.
“When I contacted one of the nurses in charge, she told me that they would investigate the matter, but they don’t know which nurses were on duty that evening. To date they have not communicated with us. Every day I call the hospital as I want answers, it’s impossible that my sister fell off the bed,” she said.
Liwani demanded justice for her mother.
“When I visited my mother in hospital, I could see that someone had beaten her up. I noticed that her hair was filled with sand and her pyjamas had blood. I asked her what happened, but she started crying and said one of the nurses had beaten her up and there was pain in her genital area. I was upset when my mother told me. The hospital has not assisted us nor communicated if they’ve done their investigations or not,” she said.
The provincial health department did not respond to questions by deadline.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said a case of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm was registered at Kleinvlei SAPS for investigation.
“The case is still under investigation, no arrest as yet,” he said.
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