Teddy helps make hospital bearable

TEDDY bears across Ballarat are as healthy as ever following a special Grampians Health initiative led by medical students last week.

More than 160 children, parents and carers attended the annual teddy bear hospital, bringing along their furry friends for a check-up with 20 Deakin University and University of Melbourne medical students, who are in their second, third, or fourth year of their degree.

Melbourne Uni student Larissa Schulz was one of the volunteer organisers and said the aim is to educate children about healthcare and introduce them to a medical or hospital environment.

“It’s all about seeing people with stethoscopes and in scrubs, seeing teddy get an x-ray, or a vaccination, to get kids acquainted with the setting through play with their teddies,” she said.

“It’s educational for the children, but for all of us who are going to become doctors in the next year, or in a couple of years, that obviously involves working with children.

“This is also educational for us because we get to learn how to interact with children of various ages, and how to engage with them.

“That can be a difficult thing to practice in a hospital setting if kids are unwell, so this is a light-hearted and fun way to do it.”

Six one-hour sessions were run at the University of Melbourne medical school building, with children and their cuddly patients rotating through five or six different stations.

Ms Schulz said the best thing about volunteering with the teddy bear hospital is seeing how much fun the kids have while they’re learning.

“I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, and I’ve also learnt quite a bit about interacting with kids and children at different developmental stages,” she said.

The students were supported by Grampians Health staff to market the event and connect with schools.

Teddy bear hospital workshops are also run by the students at primary schools throughout the year.