Children and families at Derrimut Primary School are the latest to benefit from a project designed to improve the health of the west.
Students from the University of Melbourne’s Western Clinical School visited Derrimut last week to run a teddy bear hospital and conduct health checks for pupils and their parents.
It’s part of the Building Healthy Communities in Melbourne’s West project, directed by a steering committee with representatives from the University of Melbourne, Brimbank City Council and Victoria Police.
Now in it’s fourth year, the project has overseen more than 2000 screenings by medical students across the west.
Committee chairman Bill Noonan said the project had been a huge success.
“Early intervention projects like this allow us to engage with local families to improve their health and wellbeing,” he said.
This year’s teddy bear hospital was run by medicine, dentistry and optometry students from the University of Melbourne.
Associate Professor Stephen Lew, from the Western Clinical School, said students find the project very rewarding.
“Our students get a greater understanding of health issues in the community and how to build trust and rapport with children and adults from diverse backgrounds,” Mr Lew said.
