Hospital da Luz Guimarães now integrates an initiative already implemented in other units within Hospital da Luz Network, which has been changing the experience of children before surgery. From now on, our children can go from their room to the operating theatre driving an electric minicar , always accompanied by parents and medical and nursing teams – a short commute, often intimidating, that is now lived in a calmer, fun and relaxed way. The main purpose of the initiative is to reduce the children’s and parents’ anxiety in the preoperative period. By driving the minicar along the hospital’s halls, the child is distracted and more relaxed, contributing to a higher degree of serenity arriving to the operating room, in the moment of anaesthesia, and also when waking up after surgery. The Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim halls thus become short routes where children circulate cheerful and relaxed. This relaxedness then reflects on the clinical component: less apprehensive, calmer, and trusting children facilitate the whole surgical process. The inaugural trip of this minicar, held in the present festive season, counted with the special presence of Lu, the Hospital da Luz mascot, accompanying the first child benefiting from the experience, who also received a plush toy Lu, a friend for life. The Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim electrical minicar was offered by BMcar Guimarães. At the time of delivery (in the photo below), Bruna Silva, Sofia Barbosa and Pedro Linhares were present (respectively managing responsible, head nurse and general director of Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim), and also Helder Abreu and Tiago Pacheco (manager and sales consultant of BMcar). With such initiatives, Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim reinforces its commitment to healthcare of excellence, ever more humane, proximal, and centred on children and their families.
