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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 ...”
Postgraduate Open Day: Mapping the journey
2016-06-27
Prospective postgraduate students listen
attentively at the Postgraduate Open Day
Photo: Charl Devenish
“Whether you are a psychologist, a theologian, an economist, a political scientist, a chemist, or a physician, the purpose of knowledge is to improve the lives of others.”
Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS), was speaking at the opening of the Postgraduate Open Day, held on our Bloemfontein Campus on 22 June 2016. In addition, he highlighted these grounds for considering postgraduate studies:
• To be globally literate and globally mobile
• To gain the satisfaction of understanding the world more deeply
• To serve as an inspiration to others to further their studies
Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, said, “One of the benefits of postgraduate studies especially is that they enable you to think critically. This capacity helps you to understand society better—even outside your field of expertise.”
Prospective postgraduate students were assisted in selecting a suitable postgraduate degree, as a first step in mapping out their postgraduate journey at the UFS.
Kgosi Makhetha, who is currently studying a degree in Business Administration, agreed with Prof Jansen, saying, “Studying gives me great satisfaction. I truly believe that postgraduate studies will give me an edge in the current labour market.” Kgosi plans to enrol for an Honours degree in Industrial Psychology in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
Prof Jansen concluded by exhorting students to “study to make a difference.”