The proximity of your pet can have a positive effect on the mood of a sick person, arranging them better to receive the care they need and facilitating the work of doctors: this is what the managers of the Treviglio hospital must have thought, in the province of Bergamo, in approving a regulation that will allow access to the ward for dogs, cats and rabbits owned by hospitalized patients.
The proximity of your pet can have a positive effect on the mood of a sick person, arranging them better to receive the care they need and facilitating the work of doctors: this is what those responsible for the care must have thought.Hospital of Treviglio, in the province of Bergamo, in approving a regulation that will allow access to the ward for dogs, cats and rabbits owned by hospitalized patients.
There are many people who consider their dog or cat not just a pet, but a friend, an integral part of their daily life and a full-fledged member of their family unit. It is therefore not surprising that separation from one's animal friend can be experienced as an extremely dramatic event, especially if due to an illness and the need for hospitalization.
The Treviglio Hospital has chosen to tackle the problem, explicitly recognizing the benefits that the persistence of the relationship with an animal has on the patient's health. The Regulations for access to the facilities of the company for pets, presented yesterday in the presence of the Director General, Cesare Ercole, and the Health Director, Santino Silva, establishes that dogs, cats and rabbits may be admitted to hospitals during the visiting hours, upon written request from the patient and in compliance with precise and detailed health and hygiene rules. The bureaucratic process is complex, but not insurmountable.
In particular, the regulation allows animals to have access to all the facilities of the hospital, with the exclusion of the anesthesia and resuscitation departments, general surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, coronary care units, stroke units and sub-intensive therapy.
In order to be admitted, dogs must be registered in the Regional Canine Registry and be equipped with the relevant certificate or passport identification. Their companion must be able to show their health booklet, which must list all pesticide treatments and vaccinations performed, and to present a certificate of good health issued by the trusted veterinarian. These last provisions, health booklet and certificate, are also necessary for cats and rabbits.
Dogs must be led with a leash no longer than one and a half meters and have a muzzle with you, so that you can use it in case of risk. For cats and rabbits, a pet carrier or leash is required. The conditions for admission will be verified by the nursing coordinator who, before giving the green light, must ask the other patients in the room for consent.
The new regulation anticipates a bill still under discussion in the Lombardy Region which, if approved, will introduce the free access of pets accompanied by the owner in all public places.
The turning point of the Treviglio Hospital was inaugurated by the visit to the pediatric ward of Memole, un Golden Retriever who, accompanied by Gigi Ferrarese, founder of Oliverdream onlus, gave a moment of joy and enthusiasm to the little patients.
Lisa Vagnozzi
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