UCC set up Teddy Bear Hospital to help reduce children's fear of a visit to the doctor

Headaches, sore paws, missing eyes, and torn ears were among the ailments treated at a special hospital that opened in Cork yesterday.

Schoolchildren from five local schools brought their teddy bears to trainee doctors for a health check at the Teddy Bear Hospital, set up by University College Cork’s School of Medicine and Health.

The trainees used medical instruments and followed real-life procedures — similar to what any patient could experience during a visit to their GP or to an emergency department — in examining their furry patients.