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Dubai kids can now take their 'sick toys' for treatment

Toys that require surgery will be taken to a special operating room, where children can watch the procedure being carried out.

Children who are frightened of hospitals and doctors will soon be able to take their sick toys 'for treatment' in Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) announced.

According to experts from the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, it is believed that giving children a positive experience in hospitals will help reduce their anxiety if they need medical treatment themselves later on. The university will use a simulation centre, where children will meet with health workers, who will 'assess' and 'treat' the toys.

Toys that require surgery will be taken to a special operating room, where children can watch the procedure being carried out.

The idea was first suggested by Mahmood Jamal Al Deen through the Mohammed bin Rashid Smart Majlis app, and then shared in a meeting with the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the KHDA.

"The toy hospital is a great example of how government can work together with the broader community to support children's happiness," said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director-general of the KHDA. "We're looking forward to working with the team from the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, as well as schools and parents, to help children across Dubai develop a more positive perception of doctors and hospitals."

The Mohammed bin Rashid Smart Majlis app allows all Dubai residents to participate in the development of the emirate by providing a platform through which they can share and implement innovative ideas and solutions for challenges facing Dubai. For example, anyone with a creative idea to benefit teaching and learning in Dubai can submit it through the app, where it will be channeled to the KHDA team.