(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Pediatric Volunteer Mentorship Program received several dozen new knitted teddies, hand-made by local volunteers, in time for Qatar's National Day celebrations. This program, which has been piloted in Hamad General Hospital (HGH) over the past year, has seen hundreds of these toys delivered to children receiving care in the Pediatric Unit.
Child Life Service staff are experts in child development who help hospitalized children cope with stressful experiences. The team encourages pediatric patients and their families to actively participate in their healthcare experience, and strives to ensure children are able to meet their developmental milestones by providing opportunities for play.
HMC's Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Abdulla Al Ansari, who received the knitted teddy bears in his office, wanted to personally thank the representatives from the two local volunteer groups involved: Doha Stitches and the Tuesday Ladies Club.
'We are grateful for the kind assistance and support from the different Qatar-based community groups who have generously given their time and effort to producing a wonderful toy that will bring joy to the children receiving hospital care, said Dr Al Ansari. 'I am especially delighted with the recent batch of teddies we received that display the Qatar National Day colors; these will be well received by the children who will have to remain in our Pediatric Unit during the National Day celebrations.
The knitted teddy bears are made by the ladies groups who donate their time as well as the materials needed for the handcrafted toys. All materials conform to international child safety standards and can be washed to maintain the strict hygiene levels required by many of the children. Each child is given their own toy, which they can play with during their hospital stay and take home with them if they wish. The Doha Stitches and Tuesday Ladies Club have made over one hundred of these unique toys over the past year alone.
The Pediatric Volunteer Mentorship Program in its current form was established about a year ago in HGH with the support of senior administration and Head of Child Life Services, Holly Clark. The aim was to build a framework for a sustainable program to harness the goodwill of many volunteers in a manner that was safe and appropriate for the hospitalised children.
Each volunteer receives training in protocols and procedures relating to infection control, fire and environmental safety and child friendly practice. Following completion of the basic training, new volunteers will participate in hands-on training with an identified mentor, who is a member of staff at HGH.
Candidates who are interested in joining the volunteer program should demonstrate a keen interest in working with medically fragile children and their families. They should be flexible and willing to work as part of a team; complete all the necessary safety training; commit to a minimum of 100 hours of service (two hours per week); be at least 21 years of age and have a valid Qatar ID. Currently only female applicants are able to join the program.
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