Now, a Hospital for Sick Teddy Bears in Dubai
The Teddy Bear Hospital session started with the children who are first led to the Simulation Centre by the team and some MBRU medical students, where the children, checked in their teddy bears formally into the hospital.
The first Hospital for Teddy Bears has been started recently in UAE to encourage children to visit along with their sick teddies for their treatment. This is first of its kind facility in the country is arranged in order to help children overcome the anxiety of seeing a doctor.
The children bringing their teddy bears to the hospital had to undergo a CT scan first and then will be led to the surgery ward to get anesthetics before their operation.
The hospital is now operating from the premises of the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU). This is a part of a programme designed to teach school children about the medical procedures and to decrease the preconceived fears among the children about visiting doctors.
Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum along with four children attended the first session of the hospital this week.
The Teddy Bear Hospital session started with the children who are first led to the Simulation Centre by the team and some MBRU medical students, where the children, checked in their teddy bears formally into the hospital.
After admission, the children met the doctors to discuss their bear’s medical condition. Then they are taken to the observation room, where the children discussed with doctors their teddy’s medical problems, after getting the medical reports and the image from the CT scan department.
Helen Henderson, who is the lead simulation educator at MBRU said, “Teddy Bear Hospital creates a unique educational opportunity for children across the UAE. It’s a great initiative and one of its kind in the country. The programme introduces children to the basics of healthcare through firsthand experiences where we aim to downplay the fear children experience when they go to hospitals”.
She also said, “We want to diminish any negative feelings of anxiety the children experience when visiting a doctor. In the future we hope to tie this programme with the school curriculum and make it a part of the overall education experience in the UAE”.
The Teddy Bear Hospital in Dubai began with mere an idea titled “Create a class in school to treat sick toys” submitted to Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Majlis. The idea was then forwarded to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for their review. After studying the initial idea, the KHDA directed it to the MBRU to study its feasibility. The MBRU’s simulation team then re-designed the initial idea and Teddy Bear Hospital came into existence.
