SINGAPORE: Interactive murals at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) that provide comfort and soothe anxiety are the latest in a series of collaborations between the hospital and The Walt Disney Company.
These interactive murals can be found in the children's waiting room and at the entrances to certain operating theatres, said KKH on Thursday (Feb 10).
Through the Disney Team of Heroes app, KKH said characters from Star Wars, Zootopia, The Incredibles, and Marvel’s Avengers come to life in the form of stories and games.
“Surgery can be stressful for anyone, and particularly for children,” said Associate Professor Kevin Lim, chairman of KKH's Division of Surgery.
“These interactive murals have been invaluable for soothing children’s anxieties, transforming the environment around them and bringing a smile to everyone’s faces ahead of their surgery.”
KKH also noted that it is the first hospital in Asia to feature Disney-themed interactive murals.
These interactive features are an extension of the hospital's prior collaborations with Disney. The earlier murals outside the hospital's Clinic K, Musculoskeletal Centre and Eye Centre feature iconic franchises that were selected according to the average age of the children treated at each clinic.
DELIVERING JOY TO PATIENTS
A total of 5,000 hospital employees also attended a customised training course hosted by Disney Institute.
The training, conducted outside the United States for the first time, was attended by staff members and leaders from across the medical, nursing, allied health and administration teams.
The 14 sessions, with a focus on "creating moments of comfort and inspiration", ran from September to October last year, said Ms Irene Chan, director at the office of patience experience in KKH. Online access to the course was extended after that, she added.
"The common thread between a visit to a children’s hospital like KKH and a visit to a Disney park lies in the moments of connection," noted Ms Chan in response to CNA's queries.
“Through our initiatives in children’s hospitals, we aim to inspire hope - bringing comfort and optimism to our communities, and delivering joy when it is needed most to patients of all ages,” said Mr David Shin, managing director at the Walt Disney Company for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
"We hope to continue this relationship whereby Disney's best-in-class training is integrated with KKH's culture of providing excellent clinical care with compassion for our patients and their families," said Ms Chan.
