Giving a voice to children on World Hospitalised Children's Day
SJD Sant Boi Hospital commemorates World Hospitalised Children's Day with first-hand accounts from Aritz, Lara and Izan
With this initiative, the hospital champions the rights of admitted children and highlights the need to make healthcare centres a friendly environment
Aritz, Lara and Izan have been admitted to SJD Sant Boi Hospital. For a few days, the hospital will be their home and the healthcare team goes above and beyond to make them feel at home, while informing them of every step taken. Their words provide a sincere and spontaneous perspective that helps to better understand what it means to be a hospitalised child, and are useful for all those children who are due to be admitted soon.
To mark World Hospitalised Children's Day, celebrated every year on 13 May, professionals from the maternal and child health area of SJD Sant Boi Hospital wanted to give a voice to the boys and girls who experience hospitalisation first-hand. The action has been carried out through a testimonial video in which three children explain, in their own words, what it is like to live in hospital. "The nurse seemed very nice to me, she explained everything they were going to do very well," says Izan who, accompanied by his family, is admitted to the sixth floor of the hospital.
In the interviews, the three participants share their experiences, detail the procedures they have undergone and send a positive message to children who are due to have surgery or be hospitalised. "I would tell them not to be afraid, that they won't be hurt and that nothing will happen to them," they explain.
Comprehensive and humanised care to guarantee the rights of hospitalised children
Their experiences reflect the fulfilment of the main rights of children, as set out in the European Charter for Children in Hospital. This charter establishes that, as child hospitalisation has different characteristics from those of adults, the necessary strategies must be used so that the experience of the illness or surgery is as positive as possible.
In this regard, SJD Sant Boi Hospital wants to highlight the importance of guaranteeing comprehensive and humanised care that considers not only medical aspects but also the emotional and social well-being of children. Furthermore, it encourages the creation of welcoming environments adapted to children's needs and promotes spaces for play, education and emotional support.
World Hospitalised Children's Day aims to raise awareness in society and champion the rights of admitted children, recalling the need to make the hospital experience as friendly as possible. The proposal originated from the Spanish Federation of Parents of Children with Cancer and has eventually spread throughout the territory. The chosen date coincides with the day the European Parliament issued the resolution on the European Charter for Children in Hospital.
