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20 December 2021 | Story Igno van Niekerk | Photo Igno van Niekerk
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

A platform for students by students: Nkanyezi talk @ ufs to be launched on Monday 13 May 2013
2013-05-07

07 May 2013

A group of students from the university took the initiative to create a platform dealing with issues that affect them.

Mr Tate Makgoe, Free State MEC for Education, and Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, will meet with students at the launch of this initiative on Monday 13 May 2013. The topic of the discussion will be: “The importance of an educated nation.” Prof Dennis Francis, Dean of the Faculty of Education, will be joining the conversation as well.

Bongani Zwane, coordinator of the initiative, said Nkanyezi talk @ ufs will give students a platform to voice their thoughts and ideas about issues affecting them during and after their university life. “We want to equip students on how to think, argue and reason like 21st century graduates. We hope to achieve this by having a regular panel discussion with experts as guests to help us understand and tackle local and global issues that affect us as students.”

Join the Nkanyezi talk @ ufs launch in the CR Swart Auditorium

Date: Monday 13 May 2013

Time: 17:30–18:30

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