Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
21 November 2019 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Charl Devenish
Ultrasound read more
Checking out some features of the Samsung ultrasound system are, from the left: SSEM Mthembu Medical's Chase Hutchinson and Jannie Coetzee; Head of Anaesthesiology, Dr Edwin Turton; and Head of Undergraduate Training in Anaesthesiology, Prof Lomby Odendaal.
Medical students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS will now be able to learn how to perform procedures such as the precise location of a vein for intravenous lines and for diagnostic procedures such as detecting abnormalities in pregnancies, identifying gallstones, and diagnosing trauma-related injuries with ease.  This will be made possible by the placement of a one-of-a-kind ultrasound machine – putting them on par with cutting-edge global medical technology.

A first ever in the medical curriculum of undergraduate students at the UFS

The state-of-the-art, compact HS70A Samsung ultrasound system to the value of R1,4 million was unveiled in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Clinical Simulation and Skills Unit on 19 November. A first ever in the medical curriculum of undergraduate students at the UFS, it is set to revolutionise the delivery of health-care education in the faculty, said Prof Lomby Odendaal, Teaching and Learning Coordinator for undergraduate anaesthesiology training in the Department of Anaesthesiology.

The ultrasound system was donated by SSEM Mthembu Medical and Samsung Korea.
Prof Odendaal said for the first time in the history of the undergraduate MB ChB curriculum, the ultrasound will be available to medical students from their third year. Students have never had the opportunity to be trained in using ultrasound this early in their careers.

Improved clinical training experience of students

Ultrasound is a diagnostic medical tool that uses sound waves to produce images of internal structures of the body. Prof Odendaal said ultrasound is important to determine pathology and diseases in the body and to provide point-of-care ultrasound. Having the ultrasound in the unit will transform the clinical training experience of students, training them to provide better treatment and medical care, even in constrained environments, to improve patient care.

“There is almost no structure in the body that cannot be examined using ultrasound. It makes the delivery of healthcare more effective. If you make a better diagnosis, the treatment and care will be much better. Ultrasound is so important lately that if you don’t do it, you will be left behind. That’s why we decided to bring this to the students. We can’t miss out on teaching our students about ultrasound, because we want them to be familiar with it by the time they finish their medical degree, so that, even if they go to smaller hospitals, they will be able to spread diagnostic care to the periphery,” Prof Odendaal said.

Streamlined workflow for patient care

“The cutting-edge technology and rich image quality of the ultrasound will deliver top-notch diagnoses to suit the diverse departments within the faculty,” said Chase Hutchinson, National Product Manager at SSEM Mthembu Medical. It comes with various pre-set models to cater for different needs and applications, allowing streamlined workflow for higher efficiency and patient care.

According to Prof Mathys Labuschagne, the Head of the Clinical Simulation and Skills Unit, ultrasound training will improve the quality of doctors graduating in the faculty. “We are really excited about this. You can diagnose many conditions using ultrasound and deliver point-of-care ultrasound; this will become a natural part of students’ training and clinical practice in future.”

News Archive

Dr Khotso Mokhele joins ranks of distinguished Chancellors
2010-11-21

Attending the inauguration ceremony are, from the left: Mr Pule Makgoe, MEC for Education in the Free State and member of the UFS Council; Judge Ian van der Merwe, Chairperson of the UFS Council; Dr Khotso Mokhele, newly inaugurated Chancellor of the UFS; and Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Dries Myburgh

Dr Khotso Mokhele joined the ranks of distinguished Chancellors of the University of the Free State (UFS) with his inauguration as the new Chancellor of the institution at a ceremony on Friday, 19 November 2010.

The lustrous ceremony took place on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein and was attended by hundreds of guests from all over South Africa.

Dr Mokhele said in his speech: “I am excited to have been invited by the UFS to join its community at the time when it is attempting to reinvent itself into an institution that will be counted amongst those that will shape the local, regional, national will, and by so doing, contribute to the shaping of an African will.”

Dr Mokhele follows in the footsteps of Dr Franklin Sonn, former Ambassador of South Africa in the United States of America and receiver of many awards, acknowledgements, and honorary doctorates, who retired earlier this year. Dr Sonn was preceded by Ms Winkie Direko, former premier of the Free State.

His acceptance of the role of Chancellor is a great honour for the UFS.

According to Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, it is a proud moment to welcome someone from the Province as the Chancellor of this university. With his strong academic values and deep sense of human compassion, Dr Mokhele is one of but a few uncompromising leaders. He is also an inspiring, determined pioneer and a role model to all our students.

Few have done as much to guide the development of science in South Africa since democracy in 1994 as Dr Mokhele. His vision and actions as a senior science manager have been guided by his deep conviction that for a truly democratic society to emerge in South Africa all people must be empowered to be its architects and must have unhindered access to those careers upon which our economy is built.

Dr Khotso Mokhele was born and raised in Bloemfontein. After matriculating from the Moroka High School he went on to study at Fort Hare, where he graduated with a B.Sc. in Agriculture, winning the Massey-Ferguson award for the best student in that field. As a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Scholarship, he entered the University of California in Davis where he took a M.Sc. and a Ph.D. degree, both in Microbiology. He was awarded post-doctoral fellowships at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Dr Mokhele returned to South Africa in 1987, set on becoming a top-class academic and researcher. He held lecturing posts at the Universities of Fort Hare (1987-1989) and Cape Town (1990-1992). In 1992 he joined the Foundation for Research Development (FRD) as one of its Vice-Presidents. He succeeded to its presidency in 1996 and then from 1999 to 2006 became the first President of the National Research Foundation (NRF).  He successfully merged the FRD and the Centre for Science Development of the Human Sciences Research Council. Under his visionary leadership the NRF has come to play a pivotal role in the development agenda of the country. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the South African Academy of Sciences serving as its founder president (1996-1998).

Dr Khotso Mokhele's contribution to science in South Africa has received wide recognition locally and abroad. He has received nine honorary doctorates. He was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the President of France in recognition of his personal efforts in strengthening scientific ties between France and South Africa, and was appointed a director of the Salzburg Seminar, an institution focused on global change, and subsequently a member of its Council of Senior Fellows.

He also serves on the boards of major companies such as Implats, Adcock Ingram and Afrox.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za19 November 2010
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept