Sick teddies seek medical assistance

Students at Hedland primary schools had their sick teddy bears seen to by doctors in training last week as part of the Rural Clinical School’s Teddy Bear Hospital program.

Fifth-year medical students on placement at Hedland Health Campus co-ordinated the program, aimed at making young children more comfortable around doctors and to encourage healthy choices.

The primary school students were taken through a role-playing exercise where their teddy bears were examined and treated, before being given fruit as “medicine”, courtesy of a donation from Woolworths.

Rural Clinical School co-ordinator Rob Whitehead said the program allowed medical students to give something back to the community they were studying in.

“Every year our students pick a program they want to run, organise it and take it into the community as our way of giving something back,” he said.

“It’s an excellent example of what a few young, enthusiastic doctors can do in the community.

“Some children are nervous about seeing health care providers and something like this makes it seem fun … ultimately, we’re hoping it will make health care in the Pilbara that bit easier.”

Medical student Mariana Dorkham said teddy bears came in with a variety of problems.

“We get kids telling us a lot of trauma problems with their teddies – broken arms and heads – and a variety of sore tummies and ears,” she said.

“The plus side for us is getting ourselves exposed to children and getting that communication because they’re quite a challenging cohort, as future doctors.”