Second-year Notre Dame University medical student Bay Ransom checking up on a teddy bear.
Camera IconSecond-year Notre Dame University medical student Bay Ransom checking up on a teddy bear. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Kids take teddy bears for a check-up at Queensgate Medical Centre

Ben SmithComment News

QUEENSGATE Medical Centre was inundated with some interesting patients last weekend, as hundreds of teddy bears were bought in for their annual check-up.

More than 100 people attended the centre’s annual teddy bear hospital event, where kids and families could take their ‘unwell’ or ‘injured’ teddy bears for a health check-up.

Upon checking in their bears, kids told the doctors what they thought the problem was, took a lesson in bandaging, gave their teddy an X-ray, took their bear to meet the physio and even took part in well-being and mindfulness treatment.

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Staff were ably assisted by 25 medical students from Notre Dame University, who helped guide the kids and their bears throughout the various procedures.

General practitioner Andrew Leech said the goal of the event was to ease kids’ common concerns about visiting the doctors.

“The goal is to reduce fear of medial settings in general and create a fun, exciting environment in our clinic,” he said.

“We want to expose kids to medical settings and get them interested in what it’s like coming to see the doctor.

“It was what you’d expect to see in a normal clinic, but aimed at a child and all meant to be fun.”

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