The 11th Edition of the Hospital for the Little Ones took place between 26 November and 1 December and was organized by the Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon (AEFML). As usual, the event was held at the Refectory of the Social Services of the University of Lisbon, due to its central location on the university campus and in the city of Lisbon, which makes it easier for children to attend the Hospital for the Little Ones.

This project was initiated by the European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA), and its primary objective is to reduce the anxiety children feel when they have to resort to health care, either due to illness or for routine check-ups, thereby facilitating their relationship with all health professionals, ultimately contributing to the well-being of children.

In order to attain this goal, it involved the participation of students of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon, of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of the University of Lisbon, and of the Higher College of Nursing of Lisbon. Through role playing and drama, medical practices and concerns were transferred to the small dolls brought by the children, demonstrating that resorting to health professionals takes place in a protected environment and aims to promote growth and healthy living.

As they came in the Hospital for the Little Ones, children confronted their dolls with a situation very similar to the one they are confronted with in a Hospital ER: they waited in a sitting area which, somewhat contrary to what happens in real situations, is fun and much less boring than any other hospital in the country. They showed some embarrassment when they went through screening and for the first time needed to explain the clinical history of their dolls, some of them providing a history rich in symptoms, many of them already experienced by the children themselves. As they became less anxious, children went through medical consultations where they checked the temperature, auscultated, tested reflexes and actively interacted in the healing of their “small friends”; they were subsequently referred for clinical tests where they discovered the meaning of “disinfection” and that needles and syringes are just instruments used for the purpose of caring. The next step was imaging, and it is almost always a stage of wonder and discovery, as children realize the importance of X-rays and other imaging techniques. After all the additional diagnostic tests, one of the most interactive moments takes place – surgery – when children feel the responsibility and seriousness of a surgical treatment, dress like surgeons and use materials as close to real ones as possible, framing the situation on representation. Following the complex procedure, children accompanied their dolls to the treatment room where they recover from the medical acts performed on them.

And like in a typical visit to Hospital, the next step was the visit to the pharmacy, where children come into contact with the various formulas for administering therapy.

Finally, to draw children’s attention to the importance of oral health and healthy eating, the last two steps of the visit to the Hospital for the Little Ones involved going to the Dentist and to the Nutritionist. At the dentist, children taught their dolls how to brush their teeth properly, with the assistance of the dentist. At the nutritionist, the children themselves indicated which foods are healthy, and through dialogue and simple explanations, realized the importance of food diversity.

It is also imperative that all who work, or will work in future, with children may acquire the skills to inter-relate with them, respecting their space and conquering it. These skills not only facilitate patient-doctor interaction but also the perception of symptoms, enabling earlier and more effective diagnosis and treatment.

This activity was attended by about 2500 children, an increase on previous years, which attests the growing interest of schools and families on the project and demonstrates that a better understanding of the “world of health” is an asset for children.

Comissão Organizadora do Hospital dos Pequeninos
Diana Henriques da Silva
hpequeninos@aefml.pt