A diabetic woman claims she suffered humiliating experiences at the hands of Mango Airlines and Airports Company SA (Acsa) staff who asked her why she needed her insulin injection needle even after she produced a doctor’s letter on a recent trip to Joburg.
She hopes her experience will be turned into something positive by increasing awareness of the disease, which affects hundreds of thousands of South Africans.
Solomon Makgale, communications manager at OR Tambo International Airport, apologised for the passenger’s frustration and said she should have been allowed to take her syringe and insulin on board her flight. He said the company would contact her.
Mango were asked for comment but could still give no details other than to say they were investigating the claims.
Gail Sampson of Belhar told Argus Action she was humiliated in front of other passengers at both the Cape Town and OR Tambo International Airports by Mango Airlines and Acsa staff before boarding flights earlier this month.
“On Friday, August 5, at Cape Town International I checked in at the Mango check-in point at 2.15pm. I told the lady I’m a diabetic travelling with insulin,” said Sampson.
The Mango attendant told her she could not board as the insulin needle was classified as a dangerous weapon.
When Sampson told her that she had a doctor’s letter to confirm she was diabetic and a list of other equipment and medication related to the disease, the attendant told her this did not matter.
The disease is caused by a build-up of sugar in the blood due to a lack of insulin to metabolise it.
“When I asked her if it meant diabetics can’t fly any longer, she told me to stand to one side while she checked with a supervisor first. She asked the person next to her who, said I can go through.”
But that was not the end of Sampson’s problems. A few days later, she suffered the same fate before boarding her return flight to Cape Town, on Women’s Day. This time she was humiliated by Acsa staff at OR Tambo Airport.
“Once again I explained I’m a diabetic. I had my glucometer (glucose meter) and insulin pen in my hand. In a very rude tone I was asked ‘Where’s the letter from your doctor?’, which I produced.
“As I walked through the metal detector I was stopped by two security members. The female took my glucometer out of my hand and asked, ‘What is this and what do you use it for?’ The male security (guard) took my insulin pen out of my hand and posed the same question.”
Sampsonbelieves Acsa and airline companies should educate their staff on protocol and create more awareness about people living with diabetes. “I am not the first and neither will I be the last diabetic to travel who is dependent on insulin, with the related equipment and medication.
“Furthermore, I expect a full public apology for the manner in which Mango and Acsa staff handled my situation.”
Razana Allie, a diabetes nurse specialist at Diabetes SA, said: “It is unfortunate that this lady had to go through this experience at the airports. It has been our understanding that patients are allowed to take their insulin on board.” She added that the reason was that temperatures differed in the cargo area and because insulin should be available as the person involved might need it on route.
Makgale said syringes were considered a prohibited item unless the passenger provided a doctor’s letter: “Based on the information we have been provided with, the passenger had the necessary documentation and should have been allowed to carry the syringe aboard the aircraft.
“It appears as if the airline and Acsa security personnel did not offer her the level of service that is normally given to all our passengers.
“For that Acsa wishes to sincerely apologise for the frustration and inconvenience this has caused. We will ensure it does not happen again in future.”
Mango Airlines had not responded to the complaint at the time of going to press, although spokesman Hein Kaiser confirmed receiving the query earlier this week. - Cape Argus