MOH introducing animal therapy for children

Children admitted to the Bustamante Hospital for Children will begin to receive animal-assisted therapy during the upcoming Christmas season, for a period of 18 months. 

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton said the Animal-Assisted Recovery and Care (AARC) pilot project is a patient-centred intervention that will complement healthcare delivery to hospitalised paediatric patients undergoing procedures or who require long-term hospitalisation. 

He introduced Dr Teddy Barks, a golden retriever, as the brand ambassador for the project and shared that the dog will be the project's main therapy animal.

The golden retriever was seated in the gallery of Gordon House on Tuesday with Joey Brown, curator of the Hope Zoo. 

Birds, rabbits and kittens will also participate in the project and will be sourced from the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), Hope Zoo or Montego Bay Animal Haven.

“The project has as its objectives: to reduce the anxiety and stress associated with hospitalisation,  to reduce the length of hospitalisation, to reduce the need for pharmacological interventions and to improve the social environment for healthcare delivery,” the health minister said during the sitting of the House of Representatives.

Tufton said evidence in other jurisdictions outline that AARC programmes can be utilised to complement pharmacological interventions, which will lead to improved patient outcomes. 

Paediatric patients must meet the patient inclusion criteria and the consent of the parents or guardians must be obtained for them to participate in the pilot. 

“The hospital has in place established infection, prevention and control protocols and the project will be implemented in keeping with these protocols. In the event that there is increased admissions of children, overcrowding and or an outbreak of a communicable disease, implementation will be suspended,” Tufton said. 

He explained that the South East Regional Health Authority will oversee the implementation of the project while a multi-sectoral Animal-Assisted Intervention committee has been convened to provide technical coordination and support. 

Tufton said evaluations will be done at six-month intervals and if the pilot project is successful, a Cabinet submission will be made seeking approval for the development of an AARC programme in public health facilities islandwide. 

“In a 2021 report, the Caribbean Policy Research Institute outlined that, currently, there is limited data available on the mental health burden faced by children, as well as that the overall mental health services for children are inadequate and there is a need for specialised and consistent mental health services for children,” he said, adding that the pilot provides an opportunity for further studies to be conducted on the mental health needs of paediatric patients. 

Opposition spokesperson on health, Dr Morais Guy, welcomed the project, but expressed concerns about possible infections in the animals, like rabies. 

Tufton said the animals will undergo screening and every effort will be made to ensure the safety of patients and staff. 

- Judana Murphy

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.