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01 April 2025 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied
Health care
Those who took part in the community engagements are: From left Dr Kamo Mothibi from the UFS, Irene Mokgadi from CUT, Dr Mosebi Thejane (UFS), Ahlume Nkumbesi (UFS), Dr Lebogang Mogongoa (CUT), Minnie Mbokazi (UFS), Dr Happy Phage (CUT), Dr Phindile Shangase (UFS) and Teboho Mhlanga from the Free State Department of Health. Seated in from are Meshack Mothupi, driver from CUT, and Sipho Zulu (UFS).

The Division of Public Health at the University of the Free State (UFS) together with the Central University of Technology (CUT), and the Free State Department of Health’s Disability Unit, held community engagements recently by visiting rehabilitation services in Bloemfontein. 

These engagements were part of the co-funded project: Capacity building for the use of implementation science in various typologies in low- and middle-income countries for the prevention and/or management of the quadruple burden of disease. This was phase two in this project with the last phase including a symposium that is expected to take place on 1 April on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Qhomane Mhlanga, a representative from the Free State Department of Health who is actively involved in this project, and her team, identified rehabilitation services for a case study. They also identified stakeholders to be visited during this community engagement in order to gather information on their engagement with Mangaung University of the Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP). The team also visited stakeholders at the Phelang Disability Home, Carel du Toit Special School, and the Department of Education (Inclusive Education). 

 

Research to improve health care service

Dr Phindile Shangase from the Division of Public Health, and Principal Investigator at UFS, says the purpose of community visits was to engage service providers on the implementation strategies. This includes analysing alignment of implementation strategies with the policy (National Rehabilitation Policy 2000, Free State Rehabilitation Policy Guidelines, Framework and Strategy for Disability and Rehabilitation Service in South Africa 2015-2020) as well as identifying facilitators and barriers to implementation.

“It is the intention of the Division of Public Health, UFS to continue collaborations with stakeholders in implementation science research to improve health care service delivery and outcomes. The Division of Public Health also intends to add postgraduate research studies on implementation science in the near future.

“The visit to the clinic sought to establish the services provided by the rehabilitation unit, the referral system, and how the unit collaborates with external stakeholders to enhance the service. We gained knowledge of categories of healthcare professionals in rehabilitation services, e.g., occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, audiologists, orthotists and prosthetists, rehabilitation doctors, optometrists, community rehabilitation workers. Some of these professionals are not available in the facilities visited,” says Dr Shangase. 

It was identified that, she continues, early hearing screening services for children are not available at healthcare facilities. Early hearing screening helps identify hearing defects which could be managed early to avoid complications that lead to hampered education and poor quality of life.


Outcome of engagements

Before the community outreach began, the UFS/CUT team, in collaboration with the Department of Health, convened to discuss strategies for navigating the Implementation Science project. The meeting focused on identifying key stakeholders and developing approaches essential for the project's success, drawing insights from the Department of Health's Mangaung Metro implementation science case study. 

The team identified five primary approaches for the project: Health, Education, Livelihood, Social, and Empowerment. Additionally, the discussion highlighted both the barriers and enablers related to each approach, which are crucial for ensuring effective project implementation and sustainable outcomes. Free State rehabilitation policy guidelines document was also applied to evaluate the case study.

According to Dr Shangase, the outreach will help with drafting of an intervention plan to address policy implementation gaps identified. The information gathered will assist in commissioning further research to improve health outcomes. “The intention is to collaborate with the Department of Health to work on past research outputs, presented during research day conferences, for implementation in healthcare facilities. Newly identified research areas will also prompt projects in healthcare facilities, led by the academic partners, UFS, Division of Public Health as well as the Department of Health Sciences, CUT.”

News Archive

An exceptional year at Kovsies — one of the most successful years in academic achievement
2014-12-04

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) had an exceptional year, with many staff members and students performing both nationally and internationally. Considerable progress has also been made in improving the academic standards of the university.

“So far, this has been one of the most successful years in academic achievement. The UFS now has the highest academic pass rate in years, partly as a result of the admission standards which were raised four years ago.

“We now also have the highest rate of research publications, one of the highest publication figures for scholarly books in history, three Mandela Rhodes scholars and several international communication awards”, says Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.

“The university now attracts top professors from all over the country and other parts of the world and for the first time in many years, two researchers received A-ratings from the National Research Foundation (NRF). This is the first time in the history of the UFS that two A-ratings were awarded simultaneously. The most researchers ever were rated by the NRF this year. After the constant turmoil of a few years ago, Kovsies has now become one of the most stable campuses in South Africa,” Prof Jansen says.

The impartial findings of a recent survey of UFS stakeholders showed that our values are endorsed by 92%; 86% agrees with our vision; 81% agree with our goals; 77% agree with our transformation; 78% believe that we are inclusive; and 78% applauded our overall reputation index. “These figures are very different from a few years ago when the university experienced a crisis,” he says.
 
According to Prof Jansen, the UFS’s financial situation is one of the most stable of all universities in South Africa, with a strong balance sheet and growing financial reserves – way better than before. This is exactly the reason why the UFS received confirmation from the Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors (IRBA) this year that we complied with international standards of reporting for the financial year which ended on 31 December 2013.

“I am also pleased to report that the crisis in the delivery of health services in the Free State province has been resolved due to collaboration between the UFS Management (including the Dean: Health Sciences and Head of the School of Medicine), the Department of Health and the Premier, Mr Ace Magashule. Although the loss of skilled personnel is still a concern, the Dean and Head of the School of Medicine are recreating the Health Services Platform at Universitas Hospital. However, the academic training of no undergraduate medical student or any student in the Health Sciences was influenced by the crisis in the Universitas and Pelonomi Hospitals”, he says.

The UFS is regarded around the world as a model of transformation and reconciliation in the student body. The recent SRC elections are only the most visible example of how far we have come in terms of leadership diversity. “Not a week goes by in which other universities, nationally and abroad, do not come to Kovsies to consult with us on how they can learn from us and deepen their own transformations, especially among students”, Prof Jansen says.

“The UFS will continue its model of inclusive transformation which provides opportunities for study and for employment for all South Africans, including international students and colleagues. We remain committed to our parallel-medium instruction in which Afrikaans remains a language of instruction; we are in fact the only medical school in the country that offers education and training in Afrikaans and not only English. We provide bursaries and overseas study opportunities to all our students, irrespective of race. And our ‘future professors’ programme is richly diverse as we seek the academic stars of the future. But we remain steadfast in our goal of making the UFS a top world university in its academic ambitions and its human commitments,” Prof Jansen says.

 

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