A Bondi Beach shooting victim has claimed she felt “stripped of her identity” after hospital staff changed her name while she was being treated following last month’s terror attack.
Rosalia was lying on the ground at the Chanukah by the Seaevent when shrapnel struck her head as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, allegedly fired bullets at members of the Jewish community on December 14.
Fifteen people were killed and dozens more were injured, as hundreds fled from the ambush.
Rosalia told the Today show she did not know what was happening as bullets flew everywhere and people screamed and cried.
“We didn’t even realize it was a shooting,” she told the Channel 9 program on Thursday.
“It was very, very terrifying.”
Rosalia’s husband Gregory said he saw his wife bleeding heavily but they could not raise their heads up or move forward, because it was too dangerous.
“I was worried about her. I was worried about my daughter,” he said.
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“The the bullets were flying like flies, three bullets ended up right next to my left foot.
“The whole thing was terrible and obviously, my heart was with my wife, she was extremely hurt.”
Rosalia was admitted to Liverpool Hospital under the name of Karen Jones and was told by hospital staff they changed her name and gave her a band without any religion depicted on the label.
She said it made her feel terrible and that her identity had been ripped from her following the attack.
“We have lived in Australia for 40 years, we came from Communist country to have a better life for ourselves and for our daughter, we fell in love with Australia,” she said.
“(For the) last two years, we haven’t felt safe, not even for one day and our government never, ever listened to us about what’s happening, and that’s how we ended up.
“It’s terrible.
“It’s like I’ve been ripped of my identity.”
NewsWire has contacted South Western Sydney Local Health District for comment.
A spokesman told Today aliases were sometimes used to protect patients’ privacy.
“South Western Sydney Local Health District is committed to ensuring patient privacy is protected at all times and takes all necessary steps to ensure it is maintained,” the spokesman said.
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