Mallorca News Top Story: Intensive care patients granted visits from dogs at hospital in Mallorca

mallorca news dogs

Studies indicate the therapeutic benefits ICU patients gain from dogs. Credit: Pixabay.

INTENSIVE care patients at Son Llàtzer University Hospital in Mallorca, Spain, will be allowed visitations from canine friends, as long as it is carried out under specific requirements.
The Dogspita programme aims at improving the health of seriously ill individuals through contact with specially trained dogs, where studies indicate that the animal can safely and substantially ease patients’ physical and emotional suffering.
Utilising a team of health professionals, dog trainers and veterinarians, the initiative will follow a strict protocol implemented at Can Misses Hospital in Ibiza which was created by the Patient Safety Unit in collaboration with the Balearic Islands College of Veterinarians.
Once a patient is authorised for a visit, a dog must be dewormed at a vet and all their mandatory vaccines must be in place. In-house trainers will also have to make an assessment of the animal to ensure that they demonstrate an excellent standard of behaviour to be allowed into the ICU.
The first visitation has already taken place at Son Llatzer hospital, with management  renouncing the visitation as a great success. As well as an increase in stimulation, the patient’s anxiety was significantly reduced.

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Isha Sesay

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