Children admitted to Hela Provincial Hospital had a pleasant distraction following a recent donation of books by Buk bilong Pikinini in partnership with the Oil Search Foundation.
The hospital’s Director of Nursing Services, Freda Makanda, and the Oil Search Foundation’s Provincial Development Manager, Michael Conlon, visited the ward and distributed books to children and their parents.
Parents and children were very excited to receive the books to make their stay in hospital a little bit easier. The book’s colourful pictures stimulate the children’s imagination and colouring pages help them pass the time in hospital.
Ms Makanda said the donated books also included important health messages for parents.
“The books stimulate interaction between parents and children but also advice parents of the importance of ensuring their children receive full childhood immunisations. The books encourage children to read, making parents more likely to send them to school to become literate,” she said.
Nursing staff were very appreciative of the donations and saw immediate effects. Children were smiling and reading the books with their parents, taking their minds off their illnesses, even for just a short time. Additional books were left with the ward staff to distribute to new admissions.
The Oil Search Foundation work in partnership with Buk bilong Pikinini to deliver early childhood development and literacy programs in Hela Province.
Picture: The hospital’s Director of Nursing Services, Freda Makanda, and the Oil Search Foundation’s Provincial Development Manager, Michael Conlon, distributed books to children and their parents at Hela Provincial Hospital.