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20 December 2021
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Story Igno van Niekerk
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Photo Igno van Niekerk
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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 ...”
CED launches Family Science programme
2009-03-31
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The Centre for Education Development (CED) at the University of the Free State recently launched a programme that will see 110 students from the Faculty of Education being trained in Family Science. These students will be empowered to assist parents and educators, through community workshops, in achieving further development of learners in the sciences, mathematics, technology and related issues in everyday life through the Family Science programmes that form part of the CED’s Science-For-The-Future project.
They will acquire skills to raise science literacy levels among young children by making use of everyday experiences in and around the home. Furthermore, they will be able to develop learning and teaching materials that are suitable and affordable for use in community workshops, as well as in the formal classroom situation. They will also learn to apply constructivist and hands-on methodology in the teaching of science for young children with different learning styles. As future teachers, they will then be in the privileged position to lay a firm foundation for their learners in the subject area of Natural Sciences, while at the same time reaching out to the community by presenting Family Science workshops that will qualify them for certificates. This project is sponsored by ABSA.
At the launch were, front from the left: Ms Mpai Motloli (Student Educator), Ms Elizna Prinsloo (Project Co-ordinator: CED) and Ms Zine Mogorosi (Regional Manager: ABSA Corporate Social Investment). Back: Mr Ledumile Monyake (Student Educator), Ms Lorraine Botha (Facilitator: CED), Prof Jack van der Linde (Director: CED) and Prof Gawie du Toit (Head of Department: Curriculum Studies).
Photo: Stephen Collett |