Cape Town – A disturbing video circulating on social media has sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability after it depicted a security guard at Karl Bremer Hospital dragging a young patient across the floor.
The 26-second clip, originally posted on TikTok by Angelo Santamaria, shows a distressing scene unfolding in what appears to be a public area of the hospital.
The video shows a young boy, dressed in a hospital gown, lying on the floor, visibly upset and clutching two packets of medication. A female security guard, identified as being employed by the Phangela Security Group, approaches the child and, speaking in isiXhosa, instructs him to get up.
The boy, clearly distressed, remains on the floor. The guard then grabs the boy's left arm and begins dragging him across the floor. After briefly releasing him, the guard, along with another security officer, resumes dragging the crying child away. Santamaria's TikTok caption read: “No man Karl Bremer Hospital. You bring your child in for a head injury then this is happening in front of you. Seriously.”
The video, shared widely on Facebook and WhatsApp groups since Monday, has ignited a firestorm of criticism on social media. Many users expressed shock and anger at the apparent lack of compassion and professionalism displayed by the security guards.
@angelosantamaria7 No man Karl Bremmer Hospital . You bring you child in for a head injury then this is happening infront of you. Seriously.
One Facebook commenter, Beryl Sonia Jacobs, captured the widespread sentiment: “This is seriously inhumane, where are the nurses? You can see he can’t help himself. This is now Karl Bremer Hospital where patients get treated like this. It does not matter what someone’s circumstances are, it is not a dog, it’s a person with feelings.”
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has acknowledged the incident and launched an investigation. Megan Davids, Communications Officer for the department, released a statement expressing deep regret and concern: “Karl Bremer Hospital deeply regrets the incident circulating on social media, in which a patient was handled by one of the security guards at the facility.
"We are deeply concerned by this matter and are committed to upholding the dignity and respect of all our patients. The hospital will thoroughly investigate the incident and implement the necessary measures. This matter has also been raised with the contracted service provider who have also initiated their own internal processes. Karl Bremer Hospital remains dedicated to providing a safe and compassionate environment for healing and recovery.”
Phangela Security Group, the company employing the security guards involved, has also responded to the incident. Anthea Jansen van Vuuren, the group's legal counsel, confirmed that they are aware of the situation and have taken action: “We have taken note of the incident as it was reported to us shortly after taking place. The employees in question have been suspended, pending a full investigation and disciplinary action. We reserve making further comments, as this is an ongoing investigation.”
The incident raises serious questions about patient care and the training and conduct of security personnel within healthcare facilities.
