Psycho-social service launches into the Khechinashvili University Clinic Burn Center
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Monday, June 3
Khechinashvili University Clinic Burn Center congratulated International Day of Child Protection to their young patients on June 1 by launching psychosocial service. The service aims to take care of patients to reduce stress during medical procedures. Besides, both parents and children will be prepared for the expected medical experience. The environment focuses on children where the staff arranged the playroom for children as well.
The psychologists will work with field specialists to reduce stress from medical procedures and will provide educational and therapeutic services. Through a variety of games, the specialist will assist young patients in growth and development and teach them the methods of coping with stress. The psychologists underwent the relevant training for six months and shared the experience in this direction with their American colleagues. In this regard, a Georgian language guideline was also prepared. Psychosocial service will help positive communication between medical staff, patients, and parents.
The director of the Khechinashvili University Clinic Burn Center, Guga Kashibadze, commented with us: "I am very happy that this project launched in our clinic. I am sure that the future of our patients will be different today. The training regarding communication with patients and their parents, as well as easing the medical experience for them and helping in overcoming fears was very fruitful for our whole medical staff. I hope for all pediatric clinics in Georgia to have psychosocial services."
The project was implemented with the support of Foundation "Standish Foundation for Children" in Burn Center. President and founder, Andrea Standish, certified child life specialist attended the presentation as well. "I am happy to work with our partners here in Georgia to support opening not only of the playroom but the entire psychosocial program. The goal is to help support children and their families so that they can make their stay at the hospital more comfortable and less traumatic. And as you can see, even a hospital stay could be a lot of fun for kids."
First Deputy Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, Zaza Bokhua got acquainted with the project personally and expressed his desire to implement this project to other pediatric clinics as well. He also suggested the idea of applying the guideline regarding treating young patients that was translated throughout this project in all clinics. Ministry also plans to support the idea of introducing a psychosocial approach into teaching.
