The banning of public parking inside Rob Ferreira Hospital’s premises continues to frustrate patients and their families.

Goolam Hoosen Amod (66) was shattered when he was refused entrance to Rob Ferreirra as he had to take food to his wife since the hospital was not providing her with halaal meals.

In January, community members raised their concerns about how challenging things have become when visiting the hospital due the new parking restrictions. According to Amod, this makes life difficult for both patients and their families.

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“My wife had to walk from the ward inside the hospital to the gate and back so that she could eat. I had to watch her struggle to walk to the gate with all her drips in her pockets. The worst part is that they do not cater for Muslims and I am trying to make sure that she eats before she takes her medication,” he said.

When his wife was admitted, they asked if the food was halaal, but the nurse on duty allegedly said she was unsure about this.

“I accepted that I couldn’t park inside and then decided to walk. My problem is that they refused to let me go to her on Thursday, even if I had left my car outside. I feel they are being unfair since I see the security guards allowing certain vehicles to drive in.”

Amod added that another challenge with the food at Rob Ferreira is that it is cooked in the same area with meals that are not halaal.

Dumisani Malamule, spokesperson for health, said it indeed provides food for Muslims. “All hospitals have one kitchen and preparation areas are segregated,” he said.

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“Meals are given by the hospital kitchen. In case of a special arrangement, the family has to call the ward directly. There is a restriction on food from outside for safety reasons.”
Malamule added, “For safety reasons, all hospitals in the province have been mandated to restrict public parking inside the premises.”

He added that if the community is facing challenges with the security guards, they should contact management. Amod’s wife was discharged last week.

Halaal also encompasses all aspects of food hygiene and quality. Although non-meat items are neutral in terms of Islamic Law, the processing procedures, additives, preparation areas, and so on must also be free from non-halaal contaminants. It is vital that at no stage must such products come into contact with halaal products.
Source: South African National Halaal Authority