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#Challenge: Have a Heart and donate blood

17 February 2021 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Pixabay

blood donation_web read more — Two final-year MBChB students show how it is done when they donated blood earlier this year.

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) staff and students in the Faculty of Health Sciences have challenged other departments in the faculty as well as other faculties and departments at the University of the Free State (UFS) to see whose staff and students will donate the most blood!

Mrs Angela Vorster, UFS Clinical Psychologist, says the South African National Blood Services (SANBS) has been appealing for increased blood donations since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. In order to provide support, the School of Clinical Medicine at the UFS held a virtual blood donation challenge in 2020, to encourage students to participate in altruistic behaviour and to enable the pre-clinical platform year groups to also feel like they are providing essential medical assistance.

“This was hugely successful and consequently we decided to include a blood donation challenge in our annual Mental Health Awareness programme. The benefits of donating blood are not only of a physiological nature (e.g. it assists in reducing iron levels and helps to control high blood pressure etc.) but means you are giving something of yourself. It will definitely save at least one life, perhaps more, and is incredibly beneficial in enhancing feelings of self-worth and personal meaning,” says Vorster.

The Faculty of Health Sciences invited the SANBS to UFS this week to provide all students and staff with the opportunity to donate blood at their place of work and study. So Have a Heart and take a few minutes to relax with a cookie and cool drink while your heart does the work of blood donation for you.

Details are as follows:

When: 18 and 19 February

Where: Francois Retief Foyer UFS

Time: 07:00-14:30

News Archive

New electoral body for student elections

2004-07-24

The University of the Free State (UFS) has appointed the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) to handle the upcoming election of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and Student Parliament on the main campus.

"EISA specialises in elections and have done vast research on the subject"said Dr Natie Luyt, acting Dean: Student Affairs at the UFS.

Dr Luyt said that the UFS wanted an electoral body that can act as neutral and objective as possible. "EISA is a credible electoral body with the necessary knowledge and expertise. We have full confidence that they will ensure a free and fair election on campus"said Dr Luyt.

"EISA is a neutral party and our main aim is to promote democracy through the process of elections"said Mr Seth Phamuli, Chief Electoral Officer of EISA's UFS election campaign.

Mr Phamuli said that EISA has handled the SRC and Council elections of several other tertiary institutions in the country. These include among others the University of the Witwatersrand , the University of the North, Unitra, Wits Technicon, Vista and Pretoria Technicon. "EISA also acts as the secretariat for the Southern African Developing Countries (SADC) as far as elections are concerned and manages the election processes of various parastatal bodies in the country"said Mr Phamuli.

No changes to the constitution of the SRC have been made for this year's election. "The UFS Council decided last year that any changes to the constitution of the SRC should be submitted for consideration by the Council meeting which took place in June. However, the amendments were submitted late - after the closing date for agenda items to be added"said Dr Luyt.

The elections on the main campus will take place on 11 August 2004 .

MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za 25 Julie 2004

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