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Tanta Teddy Bear Hospital 2008:
EMSA-Tanta Branch Initiation Project

Before finishing the long and tidious procedures needed before creating a new EMSA Local Branch (LB), the founding LB board have to excecute a project of their choice from top to bottom. Starting with a proposal, manpower recruitment, funding, excecution and ending by a final report. All without any help or interference. The great EMSA-Tanta founding team decided to conduct a Teddy Bear Hospital in the Blood unit of the Tanta University Hospital. Here are exerpts from their final project report:

Problem Statement and Vision:
The aim of every medical work should not only be the treatment, but also the building of a solid foundation of confidence between the doctor and his little patient. We want to show the children, that illness and the fight against it is part of everyday-life and does not necessarily has to be experienced as threatening or frightening. Children between the age of 3 and 6 are supposed to lose their fear of doctors and hospitals in a playful way. Visiting the “Teddy Bear Hospital”, children can bring their stuffed animals along in order to get them treated by “Teddy-Doctors” (Medical Students). Thus, they have the possibility to experience the atmosphere at a hospital without being patients themselves.

Idea and Goal :
By using games and play acting we want to lessen children’s (age 3 to 6) fear of doctors and hospitals. In the Teddy Bear Hospital, the children have their teddy bears examined by a Teddy bear doctor (a medical student).

Using this technique the children can follow the whole course of an examination without being the patient themselves.

Objectives:
- To help young children between ages of 3-7 years to lose their fears of doctors and hospital environment.
- To establish good rapport and communication routs between the children and us, the medical students.
- To give the children an inside look into the medical field.
- To give us an opportunity to know more about pediatrics especially those who may be interested in this field.

Materials:
- Real stethoscopes
- Bandages
- Remedies
- Fun Materials: Sweets, Toys and dolls
- Caps and hats
- Balloons
- Some Teddy Bears
- 10 very motivated medical and pharmacy students.

Methodology (briefly) :
- Distribution of the toys, dolls and teddy bears to the children in the blood unit in the pediatrics department in Tanta University Hospital.
- Children brought their stuffed animals along in order to get them treated by “Teddy-Doctors” (Medical Students).
- The children invented illnesses for their little friends that can be treated and cured in the Teddy Bear Hospital.
- The doctor took the patient’s history by asking the parent (the child) of the teddy bear.
- Physical examination (non-invasive) for teddy bears: Auscultation, Palpation, Therapy (also non-invasive), Bandages, Remedies...etc.
- Having Fun & Play!

Results and outcome :
Kids usually learn through playing, so we used this ability to get them used to the medical field.
By distribution of sweets, hats, balloons and playing some games, we told them stories about the medical field in a very simple language.
One of the pediatrics staff shared in the day by playing with the children!

- 35 children were interviewed about their teddy bears' conditions
- 35 children watched their teddy bears getting examined by medical students
- 35 children have lessened their fear about the medical professional
- 10 Medical students learned more about the pediatrics field
- A very good relationship have been established between the children and medical students in the blood unit.

For more information about this project or any other EMSA-Tanta projects, kindly contact tanta@emsa.org.eg