Rape: Hospital 'window-dressing'

2008-05-11 22:59

Sarietha Engelbrecht

Cape Town - Tygerberg Hospital is going to call for tenders for closed-circuit television cameras and is going to sharpen security measures after a student was kidnapped from the hospital's parking lot and raped a few kilometres away.

A Tygerberg Hospital employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job, contacted Die Burger on Sunday about inadequate security at the hospital.

"I've been working there for 30 years and security doesn't really exist.

"They're just window-dressing after the incident."

Executive head of Tygerberg Hospital Terence Carter said, however, that they would never be able to afford to secure the hospital adequately.

"We would have to put a guard on every floor and in every ward and that isn't possible. We're following a more comprehensive approach."

Safety measures 'have deteriorated'

The Tygerberg staffer said that staff had written numerous letters about safety to the hospital management.

"All that the security guards do is to check that people don't park in the wrong place."

She said safety measures on the premises had deteriorated a lot in the past few years.

Carter said security had not deteriorated, but that "the nature and extent of crime (had) worsened severely".

"Tygerberg Hospital was designed in the 1950s, when there was no inkling of the kind of safety risks which we face today.

"There is a greater need for security everywhere in South Africa."

A private company, HRF Security, were responsible for the security of the 100ha hospital grounds.

The hospital's own guards work inside the hospital.

Carter said: "In the past two years, the security guards outside the hospital were supposed to patrol with dogs, motorcycles, and bicycles, but they weren't deployed to full capacity at all times."

CCTV 24 hours a day

Carter said they heard about the kidnapping and rape on Friday and immediately arranged with HRF Security to increase their number of guards.

"We are also in the process of asking for a tender for closed-circuit television cameras which will be manned 24 hours a day.

"We're not looking for an instant solution. We're looking at the long-term."

Carter said that Tygerberg Hospital's grounds were different to those of other hospitals.

"There are three universities and several companies on the premises. That's about 3 000 people."

Die Burger went to Tygerberg Hospital on Sunday.

About 10 security guards were seen on the premises and three female guards searched cars that were leaving the grounds.

Taken to empty house

The sister of a famous rugby player was attacked a week ago in the parking lot of Tygerberg Hospital.

She was a student at the University of the Western Cape.

She was forced back into her car and three men took her to an empty house in Klipheuwel, where she was allegedly raped.

No one had been arrested yet.

- Die Burger