​The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) recently held a memorial ceremony and tree planting to pay homage to the 19 colleagues and students who passed away in the last year.

“This event is an opportunity to pay tribute to, reflect on, and acknowledge the contributions of our staff and students who passed away in the past year," said Prof Nico Gey van Pittius, FMHS Vice Dean: Research and Internationalisation, who was the master of ceremony at the event. In light of Covid-19 restrictions, a small face-to-face ceremony was held that was live streamed to attendees who followed the event online.

“In previous years the memorial event was quite a small affair, but the past year has been a year like none other," said FMHS Dean Prof Jimmy Volmink, commenting on the high number of staff and students that have passed away over this period.

Volmink noted the considerable role that Covid-19 had played in the high number of deaths of colleagues and students, many of who died of Covid-19, and others who were indirectly affected by the disease and pandemic.

“I think for as long as we live, we will never forget this period. Today we want to take the time and really think about our colleagues and students that have passed on in the last year," Volmink said.

At the event, close colleagues delivered a brief tribute to each of the deceased.

As a lasting token of remembrance, a number of trees were planted around the sports field and outdoor gym on the Tygerberg Campus. Each of the trees are dedicated to a student or staff member who passed away, and will carry a plaque with the name of the person it is attributed to.

“These trees are planted in honour of the colleagues and students that we have lost in the last year. We are planting it here at the sports field and outdoor gym where students will be able to see and enjoy it," Prof Bob Mash, executive head of the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, and chairperson of the FMHS's Dean's Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustain (DACES) said at the tree-planting ceremony which was held a week before the memorial event.

The trees, which were cultivated and donated by Prof Anton Doubell, head of the Division of Cardiology, also serve to help offset the faculty's carbon emissions, Mash said.

The FMHS staff and students who were honoured at the memorial event and tree planting were:

• Ms Annelien Buys who worked at FEDICS
• Ms Georgina Nentsa from FAMCRU
• Mr Riaan Rowan from the Desmond Tutu TB Centre
• Prof Lungile Pepeta who was a PhD student in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Dr Alwyn Louw from the Centre for Health Professions Education and Residence Head at Nkosi Johnson
• Dr Reynard Knoetze from the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care
• Ms Noludwe Mabandlela from the Desmond Tutu TB Centre
• Ms Celeste Rosant from the Division of Human Nutrition
• Dr Graeme Jacobs from the Division of Medical Virology
• Ms Samantha Stander who was a final-year MBCHB student
• Prof Birhanu Ayele from the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• Prof Johan Dempers from the Division of Forensic Medicine
• Ms Evelyn Fielies from the Desmond Tutu TB Centre
• Mr Kelvin Lebuso who worked at Business Management
• Prof Jan Lochner who was a retired Dean of the FMHS
• Mr Malizo Ngxono from the Department of Psychiatry
• Mr Dirk Theart from Facilities Management
• Ms Millicent Motileng from the Division of Clinical Pharmacology
• Ms Noma Simangala from the Institute for Life Course Health Research
  

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