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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 holds memorial service for Prof Benito Khotseng
2015-01-09
Prof Benito Khotseng |
The management of the University of the Free State is saddened by the passing away of Prof Benito Khotseng, former Vice-Rector: Student Affairs at the UFS.
Prof Khotseng died from a heart disease on Sunday 4 January 2015 at the age of 67.
He joined the University of the Free State as a senior manager more than two decades ago.
According to family and colleagues, his death has left a void in the education fraternity.
Prof Kalie Strydom, who has been a colleague of Prof Khotseng for more than 20 years, described him as a principled leader who did not promote and argue educational issues in his own interest.
“His focus was never on benefitting opportunistically in the short term, whether professionally or financially. I had the privilege of participating with Benito in many meetings and fundraising efforts where the correct values/principles and the organisations/institutions for which he worked benefitted, but other than so often happens in life, Benito did not benefit personally. We celebrate him forever, though with tears in our eyes.”
A memorial service for Prof Khotseng will be held at the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus:
Monday 12 January 2015
10:00
Albert Wessels Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus, UFS