A fundamental part of the calendar year, the Teddy Bear Hospital has become part of the woodwork that is Galway city’s culture. The two-day event taking place today Thursday January 25 and tomorrow January 26 from 10-2pm on both days will welcome over 1,000 children accompanied by their teachers and teddy bears.
This event has been a staple in children’s lives for many years now and is well known in both Galway and the surrounding communities. The event will be running as like previous years, with a focus on destigmatising healthcare for young children.
The Sláinte Society’s goal is to ease the anxiety and fear that many children suffer when they visit the doctor. The Teddy Bear Hospital creates an atmosphere of trust where children can become familiar with the medical environment and comfortable interacting with healthcare providers.
The children will begin their visit with a consultation with one of the teddy bear doctors. They then attend the ‘x-ray department’ where they will see an x-ray of their teddy’s bones. Following this, the child and teddy can visit the ‘surgery’ where any of their teddy’s wounds can be stitched up. The appointment will finish with a visit to the ‘pharmacy’; which will have many treats to help their teddy get back on its feet, and a quick bounce on one of the bouncy castles to cheer teddy up.
Through this role-play of the child as parent and teddy bear as patient, the aim is to illustrate a medical environment that is relaxed, as well as remove the stigma that accompanies it through an atmosphere of fun, enthusiasm, and encouragement.
Nisha Neelakant, a 3rd year medical student and co-auditor of Sláinte Soc, said; “It is our favourite time of year for Sláinte Soc, our biggest event, the Teddy Bear Hospital.
“For the wider Galway community, the TBH has become a staple in their childhood lives. For us as a committee, we do feel pressured to bring that same successful, well-loved experience to Galway this year, whilst also trying to improve and upgrade the hospital.
“Thankfully we have wonderful volunteers who help us do our jobs smoothly, along with a great group of children and teachers attending the event.”
The Sláinte Society committee is comprised of 12 members who have been working extremely hard behind the scenes to make Teddy Bear Hospital 2024 a reality. We will have a selection of pictures from this year’s event in next week’s Galway Advertiser.
