Teddy Bear Hospital opening soon

TOYS and teddies are the star patients of an upcoming Ballarat Teddy Bear Hospital event at the Base.

Over 120 medical, nursing and allied health students will be running ten stations checking different teddy health aspects in this family-friendly affair aimed at helping children feel more comfortable in and around the healthcare system.

“We want to help kids not have fear and anxiety when they have to make hospital visits. This is supposed to be fun and to positively associate hospital visits to them,” said volunteer medical student Meike Foster.

“We use the event also for health students, the future health professionals of Ballarat, to get experience, and to learn from each other how to make any consult more kid-friendly and positive.”

Children of ages are welcome, but the event is best suited for kids aged three to 12.

“We also have hopes to provide school programs next year, and this is a preview and practice for it,” Ms Foster said. “We’re trying to promote healthy lifestyle choices.”

“Kids can dress up as surgeons, learn how to give teddy a check, teddy an x-ray, attend the teddy dentist, learn how to give teddy a vaccine, essentially they learn to be teddy doctors.”

This year’s Ballarat Teddy Bear Hospital, the first of hopefully many, is a combined effort by Deakin University, The University of Melbourne, The University of Notre Dame, Australian Catholic University and Federation University students.

The Ballarat Base Hospital opens for teddy patients on Monday 23, September from 10am-3pm.

All gold coin entry donations will help fund the Children’s Ward. Any inquires can be emailed to [email protected].