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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 ...”
UFS student's essay nominated for Berlin Roundtables
2010-02-22
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Ms Chrismi-Rinda Kotze
Photo: Supplied |
An essay by Ms Chrismi-Rinda Kotze, a staff member and student at the University of the Free State's (UFS) Unit for Language Management, has been selected for the 12th Berlin Roundtables on “Cultural Pluralism Revisited: Religious and Linguistic Freedoms”. The focus of this theme is on religious and linguistic minority rights and the challenges of multicultural societies.
Her essay entitled The Linguistic Landscape as Mechanism in Multicultural Societies, focuses on the importance of the written language in the public space as a mechanism with which to regulate and develop a multicultural society as it is a means of access to participation in society.
The Berlin Roundtables on Transnationality are international conferences that consist of workshops and lecture series for 30 to 65 participants selected by an international jury based on essay competitions. It provides a forum for international young academics and journalists to discuss the political and social challenges facing a global civil society.
At the end of each Roundtable, the Irmgard Coninx Foundation will award up to three participants a three-month research grant at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) and the Humboldt University in Berlin.
They are jointly organised by the Irmgard Coninx Foundation, WZB and the Humboldt University Berlin.
The Roundtables will take place from 7–11 April 2010 in Berlin.