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20 December 2021
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Story Igno van Niekerk
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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 ...”
UFS student awarded medal: Soil and Crop Science Societies
2006-02-10
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Ms Kimberly Jennings (23), B Sc (Hons) student in the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), was recently awarded the medal for the best oral paper by an author under 30 years old at the combined conference of the Soil and Crop Science Societies held at the University of Kwan-Zulu-Natal Howard College campus.
The conference was attended by 290 national and international delegates who contributed 150 papers on a wide range of subjects. Ms Jennings' paper discussed the redox behaviour of a Kroonstad soil form in the Weatherley catchment. The research was partly funded by the Water Research Commission.
From the left: Ms Kimberly Jennings, Mr Garry Patterson (President of the Soil and Science Society of South Africa) and Dr Cornie van Huyssteen (snr lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and acting chair of the awards committee).
Photo (supplied)
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