Monday 29 / April / 2024
Muscat: A free virtual library reading application called ‘Royal Hospital Kids’ has been launched to aid children admitted to hospitals to bear and overcome the stages of treatment.
The app was launched by Al Manhal, part of TechKnowledge General Trading based in the United Arab Emirates, in cooperation with the Department of Hematology and Oncology for Children at the Royal Hospital in Oman and with the support of Ara Petroleum, a subsidiary of Al-Zubayr Group, based in the Sultanate of Oman.
Several studies have shown the positive effect of regular reading on the speed of children's response to treatment and its effect on decreasing the length of their stay at the hospital.
The Royal Hospital Kids application — which is operated by Al Manhal and uses one of its specialised products for children, Nahla wa Nahil — offers hundreds of interactive stories that children can listen to and read, as well as educational games and various worksheets.
Head of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Dr Ibrahim Al-Ghaithi, explained that the children's library application was a dream for many children and their families. Reading, in addition to being an educational skill, is one of the easiest and most enjoyable hobbies that children can maintain during their treatment. Many children and their families enjoy reading for leisure, and reading is an inspiration to many people through heroic characters and their achievements in novels and stories. "This is undoubtedly a positive motivation for children and their families to follow the treatment plan."
Each child in the hospital will be able to download the application free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play. They can then scan the login code that’s found on a sticker on the hospital bed to enjoy hundreds of stories that have been selected specifically for different subjects and age levels.
