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28 August 2023 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Andre Damons
Dr Kgomotso Moroka
Dr Kgomotso Moroka, Acting HOD: Cardiology in the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences, recently graduated from Maastricht University with a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Cardiac Arrhythmia Management (DAS-CAM).

A staff member from the University of the Free State (UFS) is hopeful her newly acquired skills and knowledge, following her graduation with a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Cardiac Arrhythmia Management (DAS-CAM) and completion of a electrophysiology fellowship, will contribute to the improvement of cardiovascular services in the Free State and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Kgomotso Moroka, the Acting Head of Department (HOD) for Cardiology in the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences, recently graduated with a DAS-CAM in June 2023. This distinctive postgraduate programme is offered by Maastricht University in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association and the European Society of Cardiology. This is a two-year programme and Dr Moroka was part of the third cohort which comprised 32 electrophysiologists selected from over 20 countries worldwide.

Her achievement places her as the sole   DAS-CAM graduate in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Free State region. 
Electrophysiology, which studies the electrical influences and patterns of the heart is vital for treating patients with abnormal heartbeats caused by irregularities in the heart’s electrical pathway, resulting in either unusually slow or fast heartbeats.

Seizing a valuable opportunity

Dr Moroka emphasises that currently, there is a lack of electrophysiology services provided in both the public and private sectors within the Free State. She therefore anticipates that her newly acquired skills and knowledge will play a pivotal role in enhancing and improving the cardiovascular services offered in the province. She is also optimistic about contributing to the establishment of a department dedicated to Electrophysiology Training. 

“I could not pass up the opportunity to engage with, learn and gain insights from seasoned world-class great minds of electrophysiology, who write the books we read and the very guidelines that we utilize in our daily practices. There was also an opportunity to be guided in research and the state-of-the-art cardiac clinical electrophysiology while also obtaining insights into how to develop a cardiac arrhythmia centre, biostatics, health economics, leadership skills and health technology assessment,” Dr Moroka explains regarding her motivation to enrol in the program. 

“It was a challenging and exciting program that allowed participants to engage with the world-renowned experts in electrophysiology not only on a professional but also personal level. This program served not only to educate participants on clinical cardiac electrophysiology but served to empower us to fulfil roles as future leaders in electrophysiology and in our day-to-day roles,” she continued.

Addressing the diverse burden of cardiac diseases

Dr Moroka believes that this qualification will significantly contribute to local efforts to establish and develop a much-needed unique service, thereby advancing her career development locally and on the international platform. This qualification enables her to expand her clinical research pursuits on multiple fronts.

Dr Moroka underscores the substantial burden of ischemic heart disease with the associated risk factors such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels and smoking. “There is a measurable burden of heart failure and valvular heart disease. In addition, from the research that we hope to embark upon, we hope to clearly define the burden of rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias which are serious conditions. With the available skills and knowledge, we can begin to offer alternative adjunctive treatment that would have a significant positive effect on the morbidity and/or mortality of our patients.”

Dr Moroka points out that with the advent and advances in machine learning and digital health technology, we are in an exciting era of possibilities of obtaining valuable biological data and biometric parameters that would assist in the reduction of risk and prevention of a diversity of cardiovascular diseases and to guide clinical practice guidelines. 

“The current focus is risk reduction, prevention of cardiovascular diseases and the establishment and development of personalized health care, with a growing interest in cardiovascular genetics and gene therapy.  Who knows what the future will bring, but for now the focus is to work towards good health and disease alleviation,” she says. 

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Prof. Jansen meets the community
2012-05-16

 

Prof. Jansen listens attentively to Mr Teboho Moloi, who represented the Harrismith Business Forum at the community meeting where the UFS vision was shared.
Photo: Thabo Kessah

16 May 2012

We are very proud of our academic achievements, but without the human element, these achievements are not worth anything. This is according to Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, who attended a meeting with the Thabo Mofutsanyana community in the Eastern Free State.

Prof. Jansen made the community aware that the university has two very important and interlinked projects – the academic and human projects.

“Our university has ambitions to produce the best scholars in various fields, but this cannot be done if we neglect the human aspect of doing things in the right way. We want to produce academic giants as much as we want to produce graduates of life,” said Prof. Jansen to an audience that included representatives from the traditional councils, business, religious and farming communities as well as the Maluti-A-Phofung and Dihlabeng Local Municipalities.

Prof. Jansen said that the memorandum of understanding that the university signed with the Dihlabeng Local Municipality in 2010 was already yielding positive results.

“There has been an enormous improvement in the matric results of the Dihlabeng schools that are part of our efforts to contribute towards building a brighter future for our children. We want to thank the municipality and the Honourable Mayor Tjhetane Mofokeng for being part of this partnership,” added Prof. Jansen.
 
“We are grateful that the university is considerate of its stakeholders in developing this Maluti-A-Phofung area. I am also aware that this institution has contributed towards the building of a crèche in the Mabolela village in Qwaqwa and for this we are very happy,” said Ms Linah Mnisi from Motlotlwane Projects and Consultants.
 

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