TIRANA, Sept 28 /ATA/ Since April of this year, two classrooms have been added to the Pediatrics Department of the University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa,” where young patients can take part in daily lessons and recreational activities.
Currently, teaching in these classrooms is entrusted to two teachers, Rajmonda Çela and Dhurata Myrtollari, who, with their long-standing dedication and teaching expertise, support the children so that they do not fall behind in their school subjects while receiving medical treatment.
Teacher Rajmonda noted that education has always been available for young patients at the Pediatrics Department of QSUT, but the introduction of two digital classrooms has made the learning experience more engaging and distinctive.
“Each day, around 5–6 children participate in lessons or recreational activities in these two classrooms. Approximately 150 children take part in these educational sessions each month. Depending on their age, the youngest children enjoy about an hour of play, including interactive games, wooden letters and numbers, or activities on the electronic board. Older children attend lessons in subjects such as mathematics and Albanian language, as well as other school subjects, depending on the length of their hospital stay,” said Çela.
Dhurata Myrtollari, who has 30 years of teaching experience in the capital, said that working with hospitalized children is emotionally unique. She added that both classrooms have sufficient capacity and, in addition to regular subjects, they offer specialized lessons for children with special needs. “The technology and teaching methods we use have been a great support,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the parents of two young patients, who have been hospitalized in the Pediatrics Department for the past two weeks due to allergies and respiratory infections, expressed their satisfaction with the opportunity for their children.
“We’ve been here for over 10 days, and the fact that our children can take a break from treatments, IVs, and injections to do something more age-appropriate is a great opportunity for them—and for us as parents,” one of them said.
The classroom project in the Pediatrics Department serves as a meaningful example of collaboration between the healthcare and education systems, supporting every child’s fundamental right to equal, inclusive, and uninterrupted education, regardless of circumstances.
The dedicated spaces for learning and recreation, designed to assist children who spend extended periods in the hospital, are part of the hospital’s infrastructure and ongoing improvements across the QSUT hospital network.
The two classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art digital technology and essential teaching materials, thanks to the initiative of the Israeli SASA Setton Foundation.
One classroom offers a multidisciplinary learning environment, while the other functions as an art studio. Hospitalized children receive not only academic instruction but also age-appropriate programs designed to support their emotional well-being.
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