Not A Playground

There's a presence in our hospital corridors or wards I strongly feel we can do without.

It is that of children's laughter, merry-making, play.

I remember the times when my mother was admitted to a government hospital. My dad would leave my brother and I at the hospital playground while he went up to the ward to see my mum. I used to think that cruel and not very child-friendly, but this rule was not made without good reason.

I'm not Scrooge, but I don't like the sight of children in my ward. We see toddlers lying on hospital beds, kids crawling under the beds or chasing after one another while their parents look on with adoration. There's a potential hazard at every corner waiting to befall these little ones - trolleys and drip stands they could knock into or over or dirty slippery floors they could slip on. There's also an unseen danger - nosocomial bugs they could pick up. If we have to allow children into the wards, more supervision is required.

Kids will be kids, but the hospital is not a playground.