The Teddy Bear Hospital project, coordinated for years by student associations EMSA (European Medical Students' Association) and SSHLZ (Student Section of Croatian Medical Association), operating at the Faculty of Medicine of the J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, was held on 1 June 2012 at the Ante Starčević square in Osijek.
The aim of this traditional initiative is to reduce children's fear of white scrubs by an age-appropriate simulation of a visit to the doctor. On this occasion, some six hundred children aged 2 to 12 took part in the event, accompanied by their stuffed animals. The children were first led to the waiting room, where they were entertained by the volunteers of the Red Cross and our mascots, Meralys and Ladybird, following which little patients were directed to the doctor's office, where they were greeted by medical students playing doctors for their sick animals.
After the examination, the children took the Meralys or Normia prescription to the pharmacy, where they received presents from the sponsors, including a JGL certificate of bravery as a reward.