Hospitals get an upgrade for children’s convenience

For parents, taking their children to hospital for vaccination or any other treatment is a challenging task. But now, hospitals have come up with unique arrangements for kids. Know more about it in this feature...

After school, hospital is the place where children do not want to visit because of the ambience. The noise and chaos there do not suit children but for purposes like vaccination and emergencies, their parents have no other option but to take them there. Thus, hospitals have now decided to upgrade themselves in ways so that kids feel happy when they go there. 

We all know how happy children become when they watch cartoon shows on television, such as Motu Patlu, Doraemon, Chhota Bheem, among others. Even little kids become attracted to the colourful ambience around them. 

Unique ways to attract kids

At Sadar Hospital in Ranchi, Jharkhand, efforts have been made to attract kids – like putting up colourful curtains; decorating walls with characters from the world of cartoon; etc. Even a play area has been put up for the kids where they can make friends and engage in activities they enjoy. Dr Binod Kumar, a civil surgeon from Ranchi, said, “The aura plays an important role in the recovery of any patient. When children fall sick with an infection or disease and undergo treatment at hospital, they do not always get their near and dear ones by their side for a long time. So, it is important to create such an ambience for them where they can regain their health faster.”

Paintings of cartoons have been put up near the children’s wards in the maternity department and neonatal unit of Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Pictures of cartoon characters like Motu Patlu, Doraemon, Mickey Mouse, etc. and English alphabets have also been displayed in the department of paediatrics at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The SKMCH management has taken the steps on the suggestion of experts so that child patients go through a smooth experience during the treatment and it also becomes easier for the doctors to treat them. 

Noticing positive results

Dr Babusaheb Jha, Superintendent at SKMCH, said, “Most of the child patients at the hospital come from rural areas and become very irritable. In such situations, if the ambience in which their treatment is done is made lighter and suitable for them, the medical procedure becomes easy and convenient and the minor patients also respond positively. 

Anita Devi, a resident of the Zero Mile area of Muzaffarpur, brought her three-year-old granddaughter to SKMCH for treatment and it was a happy experience for both the child and her family. 

Anupriya, who has been taking her 24-month daughter to the hospital for vaccination, said, “Earlier, she used to cry seeing the doctor. But after the doctor’s cabin has been decked up with colourful pictures, the child’s focus gets diverted and it becomes easier to vaccinate her.” 

Survey & research enriched idea

According to a study published in Current Pediatric Research, “It is necessary to have such arrangements at hospitals so that patients feel at home. Taking small steps to meet their emotional needs can make a big difference by improving their overall health conditions.”

When one spoke with the hospital authorities and the patients admitted there based on the findings of the survey, almost 90 per cent of the people expressed satisfaction with the innovative approach in treatment. Among the steps that were taken to make hospitals more attractive for the children were: putting up posters of animals on the walls; setting up playrooms to cater to kids under different age groups; making an attractive waiting room; and even fitting a plasma television for the children. Research says that when children find an ambience to their liking, they become less worried and cooperate with the treatment procedure. 

Kids hospital

Improving the overall efforts

According to report titled ‘Patient‐friendly hospital environments: exploring the patients’ perspective’ published in the National Library of Medicine, when a survey was done on patients in surgery, medicine, paediatric, and maternity wards, it was found that all of them wanted to have a friendly ambience, even if they belonged to completely different departments.

Positive changes in the ambience helps in reducing stress. It not only helps the patients but also helps the doctors and nursing staff who take care of them by improving their overall performance.

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