Vibrant rooms paint difference for patients at National Children’s Hospital
Who said hospital rooms have to be plain and boring?
What used to be dull rooms have been turned into visual feasts for kids with the help of vibrant wallpapers.
The five rooms at the respiratory wards of the National Children’s Hospital in Quezon City turned colorful after wallpapers adorned their walls.
“It’s really different now. Unlike before, the walls were bare. The old walls easily caught dust. We feel that our babies are safer here,” said Jocelly Bacalla.
The 42-year old Bacalla from Navotas had been in the hospital twice because of her three-month-old baby’s heart problem.
“It’s beautiful now. I feel like I’m just at home,” Bacalla said.
MJ Policarpio, who shares the same room with Bacalla, said the new wallpaper prints were stress-relievers.
“It really removes stress. It’s beautiful and it’s good for the kids,” said Policarpio, whose baby has been confined in the hospital for two weeks now.
Compared to the old look with white paint, Policarpio said the walls look cleaner and nicer this time.
Happier, more playful kids
Dr. Epifania Simbul, Medical Center Chief of the National Children’s Hospital said the vibrant wallpapers would add to the faster recovery of their patients.
“You know sometimes, medicine is not enough. When you have the feeling of well-being, it increases your body resistance. There are hormones that are secreted in the body when you are happier that will hasten your recovery,” Simbul said.
Only three days after the wallpapers were placed, Simbul said the kids have become more playful and happier.
“The babies are more playful, of course even the parents are very happy to see their environment is colorful,” she said.
Images of animals, the outer space, food group and outdoor activities, among many others, adorn the walls of the rooms now.
“This is an adjunct to the treatment that we are giving. As I have mentioned, if you are happier, it boosts your immune system,” Simbul said.
The wallpapers, she said, “brighten the environment” and would remove the “painful memories” of their patients.
“It becomes a playground and not a lonely hospital room,” she said.
With the vibrant wallpapers on the kids’ wards, she hoped that their recovery would be faster.
“I hope so because as I have mentioned, it produces or increases our secretion of hormones in our body. When we are happy, we feel better, we feel well,” she said.
Environment-friendly
The colorful wallpaper on the wards was a part of the corporate social responsibility project of Norde International Distributors in partnership with HP Latex. The project was undertaken in line with the 71st Founding Anniversary of the National Children’s Hospital.
Elaine Hao Chin, VP Finance and Operations Norde International Distributors, said the wallpaper prints were environment-friendly, making them safe for the kids, the parents and the hospital.
“We want the children more comfortable and at the same time provide a safe environment for them. The materials we used are environmental-friendly. They are safe for kids and for sensitive environments.
“With this activity we hope everyone’s stay here a little bit brighter, livelier and we add a bit more joy to everyone here,” she added. IDL
