Around 50 primary school­children participated in Teddy Bear Hospital clinics at St Francis primary school in Victoria. Eighteen student volunteers from Queen Mary Malta Campus ran the clinics, providing the children with a fun and educational afternoon.

The Teddy Bear Hospital initiative started at Queen Mary University of London as a way of helping children understand hospital services and reduce their anxieties about medical or dental treatments. The initiative has been taken up by students from the Queen Mary Malta Campus medical school, who held the first clinics at St Francis school.

The workshops provide children with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with medical and dental equipment in an interactive setting, helping them to learn about healthcare in a friendly way.

More children learning about healthcare in a friendly and fun way.

In preparation for the clinics, children were asked to bring a sick teddy from home for a check-up. The children and their teddy bears explored five interactive stations specifically designed to be engaging and interactive for children aged four to six. 

The stations were designed to reflect real-life hospital services, including how to prepare themselves when visiting the doctor or dentist.

At a new emergency station, children learned when to call for an ambulance, what happens when they do, and the equipment they might see in an ambulance and emergency room. The event also featured healthy eating habits, proper handwashing and the handling of a surgical bear.

Medical student Ella Haslett, lead organiser of the initiative, said: “As students at the Malta Campus, I, along with my colleagues, were delighted that St Francis school accepted our invitation and welcomed us to their school for the official launch of the Teddy Bear Hospital clinics in a primary school setting.”  Haslett said the pupils were very enthusiastic and engaged with the interactive stations as they used medical tools to help their teddy bears feel better. “We are very much looking forward to introducing these clinics to other schools across Gozo,” she said.

Teachers at St Francis school said the Teddy Bear Hospital clinics were a great opportunity for their pupils to familiarise themselves with real-life hospital scenarios in a fun, engaging and interactive way. “As a school, we take every opportunity that supports learning beyond the core curriculum and equips the students with life-learning skills,” they said.