The Medical Student Association in Iceland launched a project this week by opening a “Teddy Bear Hospital” in Reykjavík suburb Kópavogur with the aim of making children less frightened of doctors and hospital staff.
“Children can bring their teddies to us […] after they’ve made up a disease or injuries that they’re suffering from. We will use […] all the necessary equipment so the teddies can return to their home in good health,” Stefán Ágúst Hafsteinsson, one of the project’s organizers, told Fréttabladid.
This is the first time a teddy bear hospital opens in Iceland, but similar projects have been organized among medical students in other countries.
“Children who get to know health service staff in this way are less hesitant about using health services when they need them later in life,” Hafsteinsson said.
The Fruit Truck will offer children who visit the medical students with their teddies fresh fruit.
