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20 December 2021 | Story Igno van Niekerk | Photo Igno van Niekerk
Drs Pearce and Potgieter
Dr Samantha Potgieter, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Internal Medicine and Dr Nicholas Pearce, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery comment on their team members’ commitment and determination during the pandemic.

On the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, two UFS doctors are leading a team of inspired healthcare workers in a superhuman effort to make a positive difference.

With the pandemic in its second year and the recurring challenges of new waves and strains consistently in the news, one would expect the doctors to be tired. However, quite the opposite is true.  Upon entering the office where Dr Samantha Potgieter, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Internal Medicine and Dr Nicholas Pearce, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery are in a meeting with colleagues, the debate is vibrant; an energetic sense of mission.

Miraculously succeeded

My brief is to collect stories and experiences they’ve had over the past 18 months at the Tumelo ward for general and high-care patients, where the team has miraculously succeeded in not running out of oxygen or ventilators, despite handling high volumes of patients from the Free State and Northern Cape. “We saw those pictures of piled-up bodies in Italy. We were committed to avoiding that at all costs. And we did.”

Success stories? First mentioned are their team members’ commitment and determination. The team had to stand in when families could not support dying patients. “They did not die alone. Our team was there.”  

“Really sad and frustrating are the deaths that could have been prevented. Unvaccinated patients. They arrive ill, wanting to know if they can get it. Too late...” – Dr Nicholas Pearce


Then came hope


Sad stories? The past year has had its share of sad stories. “Someone comes in during the morning, needs oxygen, in the afternoon they are in ICU, then ventilator – and then they die. We’ve never faced anything like this before.”  

Then came hope. Vaccines. Dr Pearce is in charge of the vaccination site at Universitas Hospital. “Really sad and frustrating are the deaths that could have been prevented. Unvaccinated patients. They arrive ill, wanting to know if they can get it. Too late ...” He opens his cell phone – shares the stats. “We can handle 2 000 vaccinations a day. At the moment about 250 comes in.” He shakes his head.  

“We can beat this virus, but we need to stand together ...”

News Archive

Student receives prestigious international award for article
2008-08-07

 

Desmé Human, an honours student in Quantity Surveying at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management, is the newest receiver of the Kenneth K. Humphreys Award. This award, which is seen as the most prestigious international award of its kind, was awarded to her for the most outstanding Quantity Surveying article submitted by a student or a young member of the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC) for the period 2006-2008. The article, entitled: "Implementation of affirmative action and black economic empowerment in the construction industry", was judged by an international referee as an outstanding article which is worthy to be presented at an international conference. The award was handed to her at the 52nd annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) International and a world conference of the ICEC held in Toronto, Canada. Here she is with Prof. Basie Verster, departmental chairperson of the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management at the UFS.
Photo: Supplied

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