Gaspar Vianna Clinical Hospital concludes the "Children's Week" program at Rodrigues Alves Forest
The visit concluded a week of celebration of childhood, marked by actions of integration and humanization of care
To conclude the special program of the "Children's Week", the Gaspar Vianna Clinical Hospital (HC), in Belém, promoted, this Friday (10), a trip to Rodrigues Alves Forest with patients from the pediatric and psychiatric clinics. The activity brought together hospitalized children, caregivers, and professionals from different areas, who closely followed each moment of interaction with nature and the animals in the area. The goal was to provide a break from the hospital routine and stimulate emotional, social, and therapeutic well-being.
Upon arriving at the park, it was possible to notice the change in behavior of the patients. For many, contact with the external environment represents more than leisure; it is part of the treatment. The caregiver and nursing technician Palmira Pompílio, 55, who accompanies the teenager Alana Clara from the psychiatric clinic, highlighted the importance of the activity. According to her, the hospital surprised with the welcoming way it conducts this type of action.
“I found it very important and admirable. They go out a little, get distracted, look at nature, and we see their change. Even her expression changes,” she said. She also emphasized that the mobilization of the team makes a difference in treatment and mentioned nursing and psychology professionals as essential parts of daily care.
The patients who participated in the trip are mostly children and adolescents with medium or long stays in the hospital. Psychologist George Pontes, who works in the psychiatric emergency and pediatric ICU, explained that the action seeks to restore aspects of childhood that are suspended during hospitalization. He noted that these moments expand the concept of care beyond medication. “It is a moment to take the child out of the hospital setting and return a bit of childhood, sociability, and interaction with nature. This is also health,” he stated. For him, the impact is positive for both patients and family members and caregivers, who experience an environment of hope and mood change.
Juliana Maria de Oliveira, 20, mother of little Luca Hariel, eight months old, participated in the activity less than 24 hours after arriving at the hospital with her son, who will undergo a heart procedure. She reported that experiences like this help face the delicate moment with more lightness.
According to Juliana, the reception offered by HC makes a difference in the emotional state of families. “We go through a delicate moment, and our psychology gets shaken. So it is very important to have distraction, talk to other mothers and professionals, and renew hope,” she said. It was the first time the baby visited the Forest.
The activity also had an educational and cultural character. Educator Karen Xavier, who has been working in the pediatric clinic since 2008 and coordinates the trip project since 2010, emphasized that many children are from the countryside and had never visited the space. She explained that contact with the Amazonian fauna and flora enhances learning and strengthens self-esteem.
“Bringing the child to this exotic place, which is part of our culture, is to provide experience and knowledge. They see animals up close, learn, and this also affects their emotions,” she stated.
Karen also recalled that the trip requires planning and logistics, including transportation, snacks, and identification of participants, and that the screen printing workshop held during Children's Week allowed the children to make the shirts worn on the trip.
The team at Rodrigues Alves Forest also played a fundamental role in the program. According to Josias do Rosário, from the park administration, the space prepares every year to receive the little visitors with attention and care, ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for the trip. He stated that the team carries out careful work with trails, pedagogical activities, and toy donation campaigns. “For each age group, we have a pedagogical activity, a type of trail. Today they were able to learn a little about the fauna and flora, with stuffed animals, in a safe way. It is a differentiated contact that allows them to run, play, and learn about nature,” he said. Josias emphasized that the Forest operates normally from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8 am to 4 pm, with educational activities for schools and groups, in addition to professionalizing actions.
Humanization - HC celebrated the "Children's Week" with a special program that united fun, reception, and care. The agenda included a party in the pediatric clinic, a picnic for patients in the psychiatric clinic, games in the playroom, and creative workshops, such as screen printing for making the shirts worn on the trip to Rodrigues Alves Forest, which concluded the activities.
The actions promoted moments of joy and socialization among patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team, reinforcing the hospital's commitment to the humanization of care.
Text: Kelly Barros (Ascom HC)
