A children's hospital in Michigan is encouraging the use of the "Pokemon Go" gaming app to help its sick patients. The site has become an instant hotspot for the augmented reality game, which has since become popular among mobile phone users upon its release this early July.
However, in other parts of the world, such as Canada and Australia, the use of "Pokemon Go" at children's hospitals has been disallowed. These hospitals' policies highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the latest gaming app craze.
"Pokemon Go" & Sick Kids At Michigan's Children's Hospital
The administration at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan believes that allowing their patients access to the game has helped in their mobility, activeness, as well as social and emotional well-being. According to USA Today, some of the parents are actually relieved to find their sick kids talking to each other because of "Pokemon Go."
Because the children are getting up their bed and are pre-occupied with catching pocket monsters for the app, their stay at the hospital has become less depressing. The hospital's digital media manager, J.J Bouchard, also said that he noticed how the patients are helping each other out in "Pokemon Go." In the past, the sick kids would just usually pass each other in the halls.
"It raises the general atmosphere of happiness here in the hospital," said Bouchard via the Good News Network. Watch the actual situation at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in the video below.
At the Phoenix Children's Hospital, "Pokemon Go" is also encouraged among sick kids. The app has been a fun distraction, when the kids are otherwise struggling with their illness. It helps them forget about the fear and the pain of their condition, per AZ Central.
"Pokemon Go" Banned At Other Hospitals
However, not all hospitals have the same policy as C.S. Mott. The Toronto's Sick Kids hospital has actually issued a statement asking gamers to steer clear of their site for Pokemon hunts.
"Our patients are some of the sickest in Ontario and may be going through a very difficult time in their lives," the statement read, per CBC. The hospital is asking the public to respect the hospital's space and its patients' privacy.
Please don’t drop #PokemonGo lures inside or outside @SickKidsNews. Read our message: pic.twitter.com/lNqCFBQBjB
— SickKids_TheHospital (@SickKidsNews) July 18, 2016
The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne, Australia is also discouraging "Pokemon Go" players in its premises, citing the same explanation as Canada's kids' hospital about having the sickest children in their facilities. The hospital's administration pleaded that gamers also stop putting Pokemon lures around the site as some of the children are not actually able to leave their rooms. The game could only elicit "unrealistic expectations, and subsequently, much disappointment" for the children, per Stevivor.
The RCH's statement was in response to call on a public Facebook group from concerned individuals. They thought that the sick kids would be uplifted if they had access to "Pokemon Go."
Are you also into "Pokemon Go"? Has it been delivering more good than bad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
