00:00Barbies, trucks, even a gaming corner.
00:04These are just some of the things children receiving treatment at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Children's Hospital can now look forward
00:11to,
00:11courtesy of the Rapid Fire Kids Foundation.
00:15We felt that we had to do something more meaningful than just going and giving toys at Christmas.
00:25And that is how we decided, we wanted to make a magical place for sick children.
00:38You know what my dream is for this playroom?
00:42When a child goes to hospital and the child comes out, many people say, how was he stay at the
00:50hospital?
00:51The child would say, okay, it was all right.
00:54My dream for this playroom is that when a child comes out of this hospital, of that ward,
01:03and you say, how was he stay at the hospital?
01:07The child must say, it was great.
01:11Medical professionals note, elevated moods can go a long way towards overall health and well-being,
01:18especially for children, who often struggle to comprehend and cope with illness and disease.
01:25So play therapy allows children to express fears they cannot explain.
01:28It helps them to understand medical procedures and it reduces the anxiety that often accompanies treatment.
01:34Through play, children discover that they are stronger than their fears and they can be more resilient than they ever
01:40imagined.
01:41Perhaps the most beautiful thing about play and play therapy is that reminds us of something we can easily forget.
01:47That in health care, that every patient is more than a diagnosis and behind every medical chart is a human
01:53story.
01:54Behind every treatment plan is the child who dreams of playing football again, riding a bicycle, celebrating a birthday, or
02:02simply going home.
02:02Health Minister Dr. Lakram Bodo lamented the increasing trend of childhood diseases in TNT as he urged parents to encourage
02:12their children to be more active.
02:14Yet as we celebrate this joyful initiative, we must also confront a sobering reality.
02:21In Trinidad and Tobago, one in four children, approximately 25%, are overweight or obese.
02:29I stand corrected. These figures may actually be higher.
02:32These are the recorded figures.
02:34But that is the reality of what we face in Trinidad and Tobago today.
02:39Physical inactivity is a major contributor to this crisis.
02:45So Mr. Taram, you see where I'm coming from?
02:47Because the playroom is right up the alley.
02:50It's right in place.
02:52Alarmingly, childhood obesity is no longer just about the appearance of fitness.
02:56It is directly linked to the early onset of NCDs, the non-clinical diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
03:05even certain cancers.
03:07Meantime, newly appointed Rapid Fire Kids Ambassador, Ms. Wendy Fitzwilliam, after whom the pediatric facility is named, is urging more
03:16organizations to follow the foundation's lead.
03:19So over the years, I have worked with various organizations, and I think that the fact that we are here
03:28with Rapid Fire for this major upgrade of the playroom speaks volumes.
03:35And I hope that this is something that we continue to do steadily, and that is a public-private partnership
03:42in maintaining our facilities.
03:45Because as Dr. Kan mentioned, or CEO mentioned before me, the environment in which you function, as you know, is
03:53very important.
03:54Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
03:56Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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