DCPCR recommends 'children-friendly rooms' in hospitals for crime victims
New Delhi: In a bid to ensure that the children, who are victims of any kind of crime, are provided with a child friendly environment in hospitals, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has sent recommendations to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of Delhi government. According to the child rights body, children-friendly rooms (CFR) should be prepared on considerations based on multi-sensory functioning of children. The child rights body was helped by doctors from AIIMS in preparation of the recommendations.
The recommendation copy accessed by Millennium Post read, "Research studies over the years have clearly shown that the design sensitive to multi-sensory functioning of children is essential in enhancing their overall well-being and beginning the healing process. Some such components can be integrated while re-designing waiting room"
As per considerations CFR should be based on a sense of visual, touch, hearing, taste, smell of children. "In CFR there should be soft light, soft pastel colours along with low colour saturation on walls, cupboards made of child-proof materials, variety of plants with flowers, sharp edges and corners should be avoided in the room, headphone should be available for children to hear music and few popular stories, avoid keeping toys with excessive beeps and buzzers, waste removal is not done from the front gates of the waiting hall," reports shows.
According to report, themes are an essential part of designing the CFR because they help to let children be at ease and less scared with the medical procedures happening in the hospitals by providing them with interesting and fun-filled distractions. A combination of child rights-based theme, jungle or safari theme, ocean theme, space or astronomy theme, healthy activities theme, nature theme, interactive play-based themes can be useful.There should be an appointment of the supportive person who will be to assist the distressed children and their families in dealing with the immediate emotional turmoil due to the crisis situation.
"The person at both helpdesk and involved in support facility should be well versed in communication skills. Carrying out a conversation with the child is a skill. For children, each word matters and hence clinician's choice of words must be very careful. The clinician should find out sometime during assessment or intervention to talk to the child about their opinions, understanding, expectations and concerns if any and they need to look for and interpret kinetic signs in the child," recommendation read. There should be the maintenance of suggestion box, grievances redressal desk, monthly maintenance of records and monthly meetings
Rita Singh, DCPCR member said, "It is important that children who are in distress should be given the child-friendly atmosphere in the hospital. They have already suffered a lot they should be treated well. We earlier wrote to AIIMS doctors about the children-friendly concept and now they helped us in preparation. We have sent the recommendation to DGHS to implement in all Delhi Government hospitals."
