To lower stress levels among children suffering from different cancers and provide counselling for their parents, the Children Cancer Hospital (CCH) Karachi organised an entertainment-filled activity on Friday in collaboration with Sanofi-Aventis, a multi-national pharmaceutical company.
A wonderful magic show, musical chair, paintings competition and several other fun activities were arranged for the children to provide them with some rare moments of entertainment as they are undergoing complicated cancer treatments. Separate awareness sessions were also held for the parents of the children. A team of doctors, psychologist and researchers talked to the parents.
“This activity is part of stress management of children suffering from cancer as they can’t play and enjoy childhood activities like normal children due to their physical condition during treatment,” CCH chief executive Dr Muhammad Shamvil Ashraf told the media. He said it is very difficult for the parents of the children to arrange fun activities for their children in such controlled, hygienic conditions so the initiative was taken by the CCH to entertain children in a better environment.
Sanofi-Aventis Medical Affairs Director Dr Khan Amanullah made it clear that inviting children at their premises has nothing to do with the marketing of his company’s drugs as it does not manufacture drugs for the treatment of cancer in children. “This event is specially designed to reduce the stress level of children as well as educating their parents in dealing with their own stress,” he added.
On the occasion, children expressed their joy and hoped that they would be taken to similar trips again as most of them had hardly taken part in such fun activities since their birth. “I went to an amusement park once or twice, but I could not participate in the fun activities there. It was also expensive, but here I had a lot of fun as all my friends at the hospital are with me,” said Fiza, a seven-year old girl cancer patient said.
Two other cancer patients at the CCH, Shafia and Laiba, won competitions at the event and were delighted on receiving presents from the organisers. The organisers had also arranged specially-prepared food and drinks for children.
