Teddy Bear Hospital visits Leongatha
The Monash University Medical Undergraduate Society (MUMUS) Teddy Bear Hospital was held at Leongatha Primary School recently and introduced a grand total of 93 grade prep students to hospital and clinical settings.
The MUMUS Teddy Bear Hospital was run by Monash medical students who played the role of Teddy doctors. Through the event Monash students aim to help reduce the anxiety children may experience if they or someone close to them has to go to hospital.
The preps each filled out a chart about their teddy, stating why teddy needed to go to hospital. The children were then divided into smaller groups to visit four stations: Ambulance and Emergency; Hygiene and Surgery; Exercise and Healthy Eating and X-ray and Plastering.
At the stations Teddy doctors took the preps through what you should do if someone is hurt, what happens when someone has an operation and why the doctor might need to take an X-ray.
At the healthy eating station the preps got the chance to munch on some of the fresh fruit.
Teddies of all shapes and sizes attended the event, including dogs, a hammerhead shark and superman. These poor teddies were afflicted with sore tummies, broken legs and in the case of the hammerhead, one killer headache.
Despite their suffering a lot of fun was had by all. “This is awesome”, exclaimed one prep while gowned and masked at the Surgery station. Fortunately all teddies were feeling a lot better by the end of the day.
Thank you to the teachers and children at Leongatha Primary School for hosting the MUMUS Teddy Bear Hospital.
– By Margaret Young, Year 4C South Gippsland