Children’s hospital Barnaspítali Hringsins in Reykjavík celebrated its 50th anniversary yesterday. To mark the occasion Hringurinn Women’s Association, which supports the hospital, donated ISK 50 million (USD 803,000, EUR 598,000) to further support the hospital’s operations, one million for each year.
Director of Hringurinn Ragna Eysteinsdóttir told Morgunbladid the money had been collected in the usual way; with bazaars, Christmas card sales, collection money and private donations.
Anna Ólafía Sigurdardóttir, the department director of nursing at the children’s hospital, said the money may be used for renewing equipment in the ward for premature births, which is very expensive. One piece of equipment can cost up to ISK 20 million (USD 321,000, EUR 239,000), she said.
Yesterday a project was launched by Áslaug Jóhannsdóttir, a kindergarten teacher who works at the hospital, to collect memories from those who have been treated at the hospital since it was founded 50 years ago.
Jóhannsdóttir said she was sure there are many people who remember what it was like being a patient in the children’s hospital in the late 1950s, when the facilities were different and visiting hours were much shorter.
