On June 14, 2022, hundreds of kindergarten children from the southern region arrived with their "sick" teddy bears at Soroka University Medical Center to present them to medical students and accompany them through tests and treatment for their "diseases."
The special Teddy Bear Hospital project is the result of a collaboration between Soroka and the Medical Student Association of the Negev (ASRAN) that allows children to accompany their sick teddy bears and care for them throughout the bears' "treatment."
Before the visit to the hospital, students from the School of Medicine and the School of Health Professions (nursing, physiotherapy, and emergency medicine) go to the kindergartens to explain the upcoming visit and invite the children to bring their favorite "sick" teddy bears to the hospital. On the day of the visit, the children arrive at Soroka and meet the students in white coats and stethoscopes, take an active part in the examination, and receive explanations about procedures, tests, and experiences that patients undergo at the hospital, including X-rays, bandaging, receiving medication at the pharmacy, blood tests, and more.
Dr. Hefzi Zohar, deputy mayor of Beer-Sheva and head of education in the city, and Dr. Dror Dolfin, deputy director general of Soroka University Medical Center, visited the kindergarten children who participated in the valuable and important activity.
A study conducted at Soroka showed that the project helped reduce anxiety levels about hospitalization by about 33 percent among the children who took part in the Teddy Bear Hospital Project. Early exposure to the hospital in a supportive and pleasant environment allows children to cope better with their concerns and reduces the level of anxiety regarding hospitalization and the medical staff.
Eyal Pasternak, the incoming Chairman of ASRAN: "The activity of the Teddy Bear Hospital is significant, valuable, and enjoyable. It lowers the anxiety threshold of kindergarten children regarding their visits to medical institutions. In addition, our connection to the community as students is one of the most significant for us and our professional futures and the combination of all these things, together with the quality time with the children, is very enjoyable."
