The student-run welfare organisation, Serve Our Civil Hospital (SOCH), arranged the event at the pediatric wards I and II of the hospital to celebrate Children’s Day. It began at 10am and ended at around 1pm. Children between the ages of three and 12, some of whom had their parents with them, were kept entertained by activities such as face painting, colouring and singing.
Ansa, an eight-year-old girl who had been admitted to the ward because of a stroke, was all smiles. “I enjoyed the magician’s show a lot. The trick in which he pushed a coin through the sealed bottom of an empty bottle was my favourite,” she said.
This particular trick won the magician a great deal of applause as many children were left wondering how he managed the feat. At one point during the event, the Balochi song ‘Washmalay’ was played and the children started dancing enthusiastically to the beat.
Some of the children, such as twelve-year-old Misbah Khan, chose to enjoy the show from the sidelines. “I really enjoyed all the fun and frolic, but I didn’t feel like singing or getting my face painted,” she said. Misbah was admitted to the hospital for malaria. She added that though her treatment is almost complete and will be home soon, she believes that it will be a good idea to have such activities once a month in order to raise the spirits of the young patients.
As a part of their effort to improve the standards of hygiene and service at the Civil Hospital, SOCH put new sheets on all the beds of the two wards.
They also checked all the electrical connections, repaired broken air-conditioners and installed new energy savers.
The group also distributed ‘sehat kits’ to all patients. Each kit included a toothbrush, a nail-cutter, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and tissues. After these had been distributed, some volunteers demonstrated proper hand-washing techniques to those present.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2011.
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