Man’s wheelchair stolen in hospital

WHILE a wheelchair-bound East London man was fighting for his life at Frere Hospital, his wheelchair was stolen from right next to his bed.

Rodney Hodgkinson said after suffering from chest pains related to his heart condition, he was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit in February.

“When I slept that night the wheelchair was next to my bed,” he said.

“When I woke up in the early hours of the next morning it was gone.”

Five days later when he was discharged, his wheelchair was still nowhere to be seen. Hodgkinson lost all mobility in his legs last year when he developed severe arthritis.

He is also battling with a heart condition and kidney failure.

He said moving around had been a mission since the wheelchair went missing as it was his only means of getting around.

“Ill-health has left me wheelchair-bound. I can’t even take two steps, I’d fall over,” Hodgkinson said.

His son, Anthon, said the family had tried repeatedly to claim the chair back from the hospital, without success.

“I’ve been there five or six times but can never get assistance,” he said.

Anthon said while a family friend in a similar condition had lent his father a wheelchair temporarily, they could not relax as it could be taken back at any time.

“When my friend wants the chair back, we simply cannot buy another one,” Anthon said.

“It isn’t exactly the most affordable thing to simply buy again.”

Hodgkinson said it was the first time he had ever felt let down by service from the hospital, which has been like his second home for years.

“I’ve wheeled myself in and out of that hospital before and nothing like this happened,” he said.

“If this temporary wheelchair goes, I’ll be left with nothing.”

Anthon said since the wheelchair had been stolen, life had been hard for his father and those around him.

“We can’t rely on carrying my dad around,” he said.

“We don’t want to fight but we haven’t had any joy over this [from Frere Hospital].

“We just want my dad to get his wheelchair back.”

Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo and Frere Hospital chief executive Rolene Wagner said that while it was unlikely that the wheelchair had been stolen, the hospital would investigate the matter.