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Mission: Possible

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

UFS students excel at FPI awards

2009-06-04

Top students Annemarie Trinder-Smith and Renier de Bruyn
Photo: Supplied

Two top achievers from the Centre for Financial Planning Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) were crowned nationally as top students by the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI) at a gala ceremony at Emperor’s Palace, Johannesburg, on Tuesday night.

Annemarie Trinder-Smith, a financial planner at Christo Saayman Financial Planners, was the best student in the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning, while Renier de Bruyn, financial advisor at PSG Consult (George) was the best student in the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning.

They were among 461 students of the Centre for Financial Planning Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) who earlier received their postgraduate diplomas at a ceremony that formed part of the annual FPI convention.

The Centre for Financial Planning Law, which was established in 2001, was the first and for five years the only academic centre in South Africa to present a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning. Today the UFS is still the only institution to present this course through distance learning. The UFS is currently the only institution that offers the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning.

At the diploma ceremony hosted earlier by the UFS, the following students were named as top achievers in various modules of the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning:
• Mylie Archibald (Financial Planning Environment, Corporate Financial Planning)
• Shaun Matthews (Personal Financial Planning)
• Nicolette van der Linde (Financial Planning Case Study). She also received an FPI prize as top student.

In the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning, the following students were named as top achievers in various modules by the UFS. They also received FPI prizes in these modules:
• Megan Joan Anika (Fund Governance and Maintenance)
• Sarah Lynn James (Fund Design and Financing)
• Melanie Louw (Personal Risk Management)
• Renier de Bruyn (Estate Planning, Asset Types and Investment Planning)
• Jan Willem Wessels (Principles of Portfolio Planning and Management)

According to Adv Wessel Oosthuizen, Director of the Centre for Financial Planning at the UFS, large companies, banks, insurers and investment managers enroll their staff for these qualifications.

“The two diplomas form the basis for financial planners, brokers, lawyers and bankers to be recognized as certified financial planners - the CFP® status - as well as obtaining membership of the FPI.”

“A qualified financial planner, especially a CFP®, is one of the most sought-after titles in the financial planning sector worldwide. With about 3 700 CFP’s, South Africa has the fifth highest number of certified financial planners in the world,” Adv Oosthuizen said.

Adv. Oosthuizen is well-known nationally and internationally for his contribution to the advancement of financial planning law and financial planning education.

He was recently invited by the Financial Planning Standards Board to serve on an international committee that will evaluate the quality of education in financial planning. He was also the chairperson of a working group that developed guidelines for a standardised international curriculum for financial planners.

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
04 June 2009

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