A new playground for the hematology- oncology patients of the Children’s Hospital!
Today the Children’s Hospital was filled with the cheerful atmosphere, because together with our friends, the company Mikrotikls, we opened a new playground and a recreational area for the patients of Hematology-Oncology Unit! Sincere gratitude to everyone, who helped implement this idea!
Although it was raining, the opening ceremony was cordial and “dry” - creating the recreational area, we took into account the diversity of Latvian climate and made a large-size shed connected to the hospital unit. It is a perfect solution for the children to play and spend time out-of-doors also in bad weather. Up to now, it was impossible for the children to entertain and spend time in a healthy manner outside the hospital unit, although medical treatment in the hospital is often long-time. About 25 children from the entire Latvia undergo medical treatment at the Hematology-Oncology Unit of the Children’s Hospital every day. It is very important for the children during a period of their recovery to stay in an attractive environment and to spend time free from medical treatment and medical manipulations actively and qualitatively. In view of the specifics of their disease, the children’s activities out-of-doors were very limited, because there was no suitable and adequate playground.
“Every child perceives a playground as a place to spend time in a free and cheerful atmosphere, to get positive emotions and to feel as if outside the hospital. Taking into account the specifics of the oncology-related treatment, we created the playground convenient and suitable for the children of different age. The playground shed connected to the hospital unit turned to be very useful. Knowing Latvian weather, it will be definitely used quite often, protecting against any precipitation, and in summer – against the sunrays. The playground surface is slip-proof and suitable for wheelchairs and specific facilities often used by the patients all day long. It is important that we managed to install waterproof electric sockets to connect facilities, making it possible for the children to stay out-of-doors and play. I really hope that this playground will help the children to recover their strength, joy in living and health! Sincere gratitude to our friends, the company Mikrotikls, who supported this idea and helped our dream come true!” gratitude was expressed by Liene Dambina, Head of the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Creation of the playground is not only a project long awaited by the patients and their parents, it is also an idea for making a child-friendly and healthy environment so cherished by physicians and nurses. “No one doubts the importance of games, toys and environment in the development of a child. And we have got a new platform for our children from the funds granted by the company Mikrotikls: games + environment = playground or our “islet” where it is easy “to get one’s breath back”, said dr. Santa Kursite, Chief Physician at the Hematology-Oncology Unit of the Children’s Hospital.
Creation of the playground and recreational area costs 180 300 euro. Every year specialists of the Hematology-Oncology Unit of the Children’s Hospital diagnose hemato-oncological disease of nearly 40-50 children in Latvia. Medical treatment is often required repeatedly, therefore about 900 patient treatment episodes take place every year. Little patients have to spend at least 1-2 months in the hospital, but sometimes this time period can last for half a year or more.
The Oncology Unit of the Children’s Hospital was opened in 1989, launching combination treatment of malignant tumours. The 20th Unit of the Children’s Hospital is the only place in Latvia to treat the children, suffering from such diseases.
