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01 June 2021 | Story ANDRÉ DAMONS | Photo ANDRÉ DAMONS
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Academic Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – shows off the crazy socks donated by Cipla and handed over by representatives from the School of Clinical Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Investec Private Banking supports the #CrazySocks4Docs initiative in the undergraduate medical programme with the theme, ‘Socks to start a conversation’, to encourage breaking down the stigma around mental health among doctors. On Friday 4 June, they provided medical students with a complimentary pair of socks to wear on the day.

Investec will be running a social media campaign until 9 June.  Once the students have received their socks from Investec, they need to post a picture of themselves with their socks on either Instagram or Facebook or both, using the hashtags #2021UFS #Investec# #CrazySocks4Docs #StartTheConversation #YoungProfessionals.
The prizes for the best social media posts are five Takealot vouchers worth R1 000 each. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers around the world have not only battled this deadly disease, but also their own mental-health issues brought on by their daily experience of this pandemic. 

COVID-19 has placed healthcare workers’ fears, fatigue, burnout, depression, and anxiety even more in the spotlight. Collectively, we have become more aware of how grateful we are to healthcare workers for standing in the front line for us.

It is for this reason that the annual #CrazySocks4Docs initiative is so important – to show support for healthcare workers. Dr Geoffrey Toogood, an Australian cardiologist and advocate for mental health, came up with the idea of the #CrazySocks4Docs Day – an initiative that aims to create awareness for the vulnerability of doctors and other healthcare workers to mental illness and to destigmatise help-seeking behaviour in the medical community.

This year, the #CrazySocks4Docs Day is on 4 June. 

The Ithemba Foundation, which brought this campaign to South Africa, launched a competition on the campuses of all medical schools, with a prize of R1 000 for the student with the most likes for her/his sock selfie.

Raise awareness about the pressure healthcare workers face

Dr Lynette van der Merwe, Undergraduate Medical Programme Director, School of Clinical Medicine at the University of the Free State (UFS), says on the first Friday of June every year, everyone in the healthcare community, as well as the public, are encouraged to wear fun, funky, colourful, or mismatched socks to raise awareness about the pressure healthcare workers face. 

“Medical professionals are just as vulnerable to the same mental-health issues – fear, anger, fatigue, burnout, anxiety, and depression – as anyone else.  The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted healthcare workers and the stigma around admitting that ‘I am not OK.’ Just as much as we need healthcare professionals to heal us, we also need to take care of them and support their mental-health needs,” says Dr Van der Merwe. 

According to her, the UFS School of Clinical Medicine has been part of the #CrazySocks4Docs initiative since 2019, and this year will be no different.  

This year

This year, Investec Private Banking will support the #CrazySocks4Docs initiative in the undergraduate medical programme with the theme, ‘Socks to start a conversation’, to encourage breaking down the stigma around mental health among doctors.  They will provide medical students with a complimentary pair of socks to wear on the day.
Investec will be running a social media campaign until 9 June.  Once the students have received their socks from Investec, they need to post a picture of themselves with their socks on either Instagram or Facebook or both, using the hashtags #2021UFS #Investec# #CrazySocks4Docs #StartTheConversation #YoungProfessionals.
The prizes for the best social media posts are five Takealot vouchers worth R1 000 each.

Investec Private Banking has been the bank of choice for SA’s top medical professionals for more than 30 years.
Investec partners with medical interns or medical officers working in community service for the Department of Health, as well as medical specialists or registrars working towards becoming specialists.

Cipla has partnered with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) for the 2021 #CrazySocks4Docs campaign to raise awareness about the fact that our doctors are simply human and are dealing with a lot of ‘stuff’.  By encouraging healthcare professionals and the public to wear their funky socks on Friday 4 June 2021, people will be standing (literally) in solidarity alongside our healthcare workers.  This is essential in a country with a chronic shortage of doctors and specialists and a massive disease burden. 

• The following hashtags can be used on Friday 4 June 2021 along with your sock selfies: #CrazySocks4Docs #CS4D #CreateAwareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #Care4OurCarers

• Read more about Dr Toogood’s ‘Embracing our vulnerability in medicine’ 

Sibulele Mali and Refiloe Matshaka, both third-year students at the University of the Free State (UFS), pose with their Investec crazy socks in the James Moroka Building in support of the CrazySocks4Docs.
Sibulele Mali and Refiloe Matshaka, both third-year students at the University of the Free State (UFS), pose with their Investec crazy socks in the James Moroka Building in support of the CrazySocks4Docs.
First-year student, Nicolene van Tonder, was also happy to receive a pair of socks for this special day to show her support for healthcare workers.
First-year student, Nicolene van Tonder, was also happy to receive a pair of socks for this special day to show her support for healthcare workers.
Nkabaneng Mamve, second-year student, shows off the crazy socks that she received on Friday (4 June 2021) from Investec Private Banking in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
Nkabaneng Mamve, second-year student, shows off the crazy socks that she received on Friday (4 June 2021) from Investec Private Banking in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
A happy Siliziwe Makeledi is excited to show off the new pair of black and white socks that she received from Investec.
A happy Siliziwe Makeledi is excited to show off the new pair of black and white socks that she received from Investec.
Sanam Bhagwandeen, a third-year student, choosing her pair of socks from the Investec Private Banking socks table.
Sanam Bhagwandeen, a third-year student, choosing her pair of socks from the Investec Private Banking socks table.
Buhle Dlamini, fifth-year student, takes her time in choosing the right pair of crazy socks to wear in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
Buhle Dlamini, fifth-year student, takes her time in choosing the right pair of crazy socks to wear in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – shows off the crazy socks donated to him and his team in the vaccination centre at the Universitas Academic Hospital.
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – shows off the crazy socks donated to him and his team in the vaccination centre at the Universitas Academic Hospital.
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – receives a donation of crazy socks from Angela Vorster, Clinical Psychologist in the School of Clinical Medicine
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – receives a donation of crazy socks from Angela Vorster, Clinical Psychologist in the School of Clinical Medicine

News Archive

Qwaqwa Campus graduates encouraged to face the world with confidence
2015-05-14

 

Speech: Nikiwe Bikitsha 

The Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State conferred over 800 degrees during this year's graduation ceremonies that were held on 8-9 May 2015. These included four PhDs in Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
 
The guest speaker, eNCA's Nikiwe Bikitsha, encouraged graduates to make it their business to learn about everything, no matter where they go.
 
''Having a qualification does not mean that now there will be tasks that are beneath you. No task should ever be too insignificant for you to do,'' said Bikitsha.
 
''You should make it your business to know every aspect of your work because that is where you get opportunities. Find somebody to help you along. Asking questions sharpens your skills and broadens your horizons. Asking questions also communicates to your employers and associates that here is someone who needs to be groomed and nurtured.'' she added.
 
In his congratulatory message, UFS Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, challenged the graduates to face the journey ahead with confidence.
 
''The journey ahead depends entirely on you, '' he said.
 
''You may think it depends on your parents, your country or the government. But the truth is that this is your journey. What is critical now is the kind of choices you are going to make. There will be stumbling blocks along the way, but you have to make it through,'' said Dr Mokhele.
 
''As the university'’, he continued, ''we hope you are going to make transformative choices that will impact positively on our people, our country and our continent''.
 
Dr Mokhele paid a special tribute to the four PhD graduates, three of whom matriculated at  local Qwaqwa schools, with the fourth matriculating at Mafahlaneng, Tweeling.
 
World-renowned composer and playwright, Dr Mbongeni Ngema, provided musical entertainment.
 
Both ceremonies were attended by community, business and traditional leaders in the Maluti A Phofung area.
 
Also in attendance were over 500 grade 12 learners from Qwaqwa, Kestell, Harrismith and Bethlehem schools.

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