The 7th annual Teddy Bear Hospital at NUI Galway will take place this Thursday and Friday (26, 27 January). The event will see over 1,300 sick teddy bears admitted to the hospital, accompanied by their minders, 1,300 primary school children.

The event is organised by the Sláinte Society, the NUI Galway branch of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations, and up to 200 medical and science students will diagnose and treat the teddy bears. In the process, they hope to help children, ranging in age from 3-8, feel more comfortable around doctors and hospitals. Over the years, children have come along with teddy bears suffering from an imaginative range of sore ears, sick tummies and all kinds of others weird and wonderful ailments.

Hanin Hamza, a first year medical student at NUI Galway and a member of Sláinte Society, is heading up the event organisation this year: “We hope to build on the successes of previous years and show that going to the doctor isn’t so scary after all.  This is expected to be the largest Teddy Bear Hospital ever, and it will be an incredibly busy couple of days. As students, we have so much fun on the day, it’s a great change of pace from study, and we love the excitement among the kids who really get into the spirit of things.”

This year, 32 local primary schools are participating in the event. On arrival at the Teddy Bear Hospital on campus, the children will go to the ‘waiting room’, which contains jugglers and face painters. Then the children and their teddy bears are seen by a team of Teddy Doctors and Teddy Nurses, who will examine them.  The students will have specially designed and built X-ray and MRI machines on hand, should the teddy bears need them.  

Recuperating teddy bears can avail of medical supplies from the Teddy Bear Pharmacy, stocked with healthy fruit from Total Produce, along with medical supplies from Matt O’Flaherty to help poor teddy recover.

After all this excitement the children can enjoy a bouncy castle and visit an Order of Malta ambulance. Further support for the event has come from, among others, MPS, Eye Cinema, Dunnes Stores, Medisource and Smyth’s Toys.

Ríona Hughes, NUI Galway’s Societies Officer, said: “The Teddy Bear hospital is a wonderful opportunity for the students to engage in a meaningful way with the children in Galway City and County schools. It is one of the NUI Galway societies' most colourful and endearing community outreach programme and we are thrilled with its success. Congratulations to Sláinte Society who invite the children and their teddy bears on to campus for such a great reason and we look forward to a rewarding few days for all involved.”

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                       Otharlann na mBéiríní á reáchtáil ag Mic Léinn OÉ Gaillimh

Den seachtú bliain as a chéile, beidh Otharlann na mBéiríní, ar oscailt in OÉ Gaillimh an 26 agus an 27 Eanáir. Tiocfaidh breis agus 1,300 béirín tinn chun na hotharlainne lena bhfeighlithe, 1,300 páiste bunscoile.

Is é an Cumann Sláinte, craobh OÉ Gaillimh de Chónaidhm Idirnáisiúnta Chumann na Mac Léinn Leighis, agus suas le 200 mac léinn leighis agus eolaíochta a bheidh ar láimh le scrúdú leighis a dhéanamh ar na béiríní agus le cóir leighis a chur orthu. Tá súil acu go gcuideoidh sin le páistí, idir 3-8 mbliana, a bheith ar a suaimhneas nuair a bheidh siad ag an dochtúir nó san otharlann.  Thar na blianta, thug páistí béiríní chuig an otharlann agus réimse leathan tinnis ag gabháil dóibh cosúil le cluasa tinne, boilg bhreoite agus gach cineál gearán eile faoin spéir.

Tá Hanin Hamza, mac léinn chéad bhliana sa leigheas in OÉ Gaillimh agus ball den Chumann Sláinte, ag eagrú ócáid na bliana seo: “Tá súil againn go n-éireoidh chomh maith linn is a d’éirigh le blianta beaga anuas agus go léireoimid nár cheart eagla a bheith ar pháistí dul chuig an dochtúir. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh Otharlann na mBéiríní i mbliana ar an gceann is mó riamh, agus beidh cúpla lá thar a bheith gnóthach againn. Mar mhic léinn, bíonn an-spraoi againn ar an lá, is iontach an t-athrú é ón staidéar, agus is breá linn na sceitimíní a bhíonn ar na páistí agus iad thar a bheith tógtha leis an ócáid.”

I mbliana, beidh daltaí agus béiríní as 32 bunscoil áitiúil ag freastal ar an Otharlann. Nuair a thagann na páistí chuig Otharlann na mBéiríní ar an gcampas, rachaidh siad chuig an 'seomra feithimh', áit a mbeidh lámhchleasaithe agus maisitheoirí aghaidheanna ag fanacht orthu.  Ansin buailfidh na páistí agus na béiríní le foireann de Dhochtúirí Béiríní agus d’Altraí Béiríní a chuirfidh scrúdú leighis orthu.  Beidh meaisíní speisialta X-gha agus MRI ag na mic léinn ar fhaitíos go mbeidís ag teastáil ó na béiríní.

Beidh Cógaslann Béiríní ann chomh maith, agus beidh torthaí sláintiúla ó Total Produce ann mar aon le soláthairtí leighis ó Chógaslann Matt O’Flaherty le cóir leighis a chur ar na béiríní.

I ndiaidh an rírá seo ar fad beidh na páistí ábalta súgradh sa chaisleán spraoi agus cuairt a thabhairt ar otharcharr de chuid Ord Mhálta. Beidh Cumann Cleasaíochta OÉ Gaillimh agus maisitheoirí aghaidheanna, a bheidh ag obair go deonach, ag cur siamsaíochta ar fáil i rith an ama. I measc na ndreamanna atá ag tabhairt tacaíochta don ócáid tá MPS, Pictiúrlann an Eye, Dunnes Stores, Medisource agus Smyth’s Toys.

Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Ríona Hughes, Oifigeach na gCumann in OÉ Gaillimh:  “Is iontach an deis a thugann Ospidéal na mBéiriní do mhic léinn oibriú go fiúntach le páistí i scoileanna chathair agus chontae na Gaillimhe. Tá sé ar cheann de na cláir pobail for-rochtana is ildaite agus is deise a bhíonn idir lámha ag cumainn OÉ Gaillimh agus táimid thar a bheith sásta lena fheabhas atá ag éirí leis. Comhghairdeas leis an gCumann Sláinte a thugann cuireadh do pháistí agus dá mbéiríní chun an champais agus táimid ag súil le cúpla lá thar a bheith tairbheach do chách atá bainteach leis an ócáid”.

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