Pretoria - The 76-year-old woman that was tied to the benches at Mamelodi Day Hospital has been in a traumatic state and heavily sedated.
This was according to family spokesperson, Virginia Keppler, who along with three family members of Martha Marais, laid charges against the hospital this afternoon at Mamelodi east police station.
“We are still consulting with the station commander on what type of charges can be laid for the inhumane behaviour,” said Keppler.
Followed by a large media contingency, Keppler said the family was worried at the state of “Ouma”.
"She is normally talkative, but now she has gone blank. She is way less interactive and looks visibly traumatised,” she said.
Family spokesperson Virginia Keppler outside Mamelodi east Police Station. Video: Sakhile Ndlazi.
Another family member, Claudine, said since on Thursday her grandmother has been heavily sedated.
“She can't even open her eyes. She is just dazed. I think they have increase her medicine dosage,” she said.
The incident has received a lot of attention with some other people even coming forward with other personal incidents.
Social media has also been abuzz with the video of the incident circulating.
In videos shared on social media by Keppler, the grandmother can be seen lying down with both her hands tied behind her back under silver hospital benches with two other women next to her.
In one of the videos, her daughter Stephanie can be heard shouting, asking hospital staff if they thought their act was justified.
“For me to see my mother like this is this right?”
She can also be heard apologising to her mother, saying “sorry mama, sorry”.
Marais, who lives with her daughter in Eersterust, had been complaining about constipation on Tuesday morning.
The Health Department's Mothomone Pitsi said staff implicated in this ill-treatment have given statements and their fate will be discussed at a meeting.
“If anybody has acted inappropriately, action will be taken against them.
"The decision will be made after viewing the incident statements that we have been collecting overnight.”