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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 ...”
Bursaries available for postgraduate studies
2016-09-19
Due to the current financial landscape in the higher education sector, the University of the Free State (UFS) has allocated funding for 130 honours degree bursaries, funds for research masters, and doctoral bursaries for studies in 2017.
The closing date for the honours bursaries is 19 December 2016.
Honours bursaries
All South African and international students, from any higher education institution, wishing to pursue their honours degree in 2017 can apply for the honours bursary. The funding is available for both full-time and part-time studies.
Applicants must have a minimum average of 65% in the third-year module in which they want to pursue an honours degree.
Students registering for a first honours degree in 2017 at the UFS will also be eligible for the university’s registration fee waiver. More information and frequently asked questions about the honours bursaries are available here.
Deliver your application form to Pinky Motlhabane at the Postgraduate School on the Bloemfontein Campus or submit it via email to motlhabanegk@ufs.ac.za.
Masters and doctoral bursaries
UFS has allocated funding for 130 honours
degree bursaries for studies in 2017.
Funding is available for the first three years for research masters students and the first four years for doctoral students. The masters and doctoral bursaries are open to all South African and international students. The funding is available for full-time and part-time studies.
Learn more about the masters and doctoral bursaries.
Postgraduate students can apply for the masters and doctoral bursaries at any time.
Other bursaries
UFS academic merit bursaries and other postgraduate funding opportunities are also available for postgraduate students.
• Merit bursaries: The merit bursaries are available for honours, masters and doctoral studies.
• Faculty awards: Various faculty awards are available to students who undertake postgraduate research degrees.
• National Research Foundation (NRF): To apply, please visit the NRF website and follow the application process. Please note that NRF bursary applications will open again on 1 June 2017.
• Independent awards: The UFS Bursaries and Scholarships Guide for Postgraduate Students provides a comprehensive list of these donors as well as information on the available opportunities and application procedures.
For more information about all bursaries, please contact Pinky Motlhabane at the Postgraduate School on +27 51 401 9635 or motlhabanegk@ufs.ac.za.