SINT-TRUIDEN, Belgium — A Belgian hospital has built a pavilion to allow pets to visit patients who are in palliative care or with illnesses that require long-term care in a bid to boost patients’ wellbeing. Most hospitals worldwide do not allow pet visits for reasons of hygiene and contamination risks, and for years long-term patients at the Sint-Trudo hospital who wanted to see their pets had to do that in the hospital courtyard. ADVERTISEMENTBut in conversations between cancer patients and hospital psychologists, the idea grew for a dedicated indoor space – separate from but connected to the hospital – and the result is a pet visit pavilion that opened last month. “For long-term hospital residents, mental wellbeing is very important in their recovery, and reconnecting with pets really helps,” said spokeswoman Miet Driesen at Sint-Trudo in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. Funded by a cancer charity for 140,000 euros ($152,000), the new space allows patients to meet with pets one hour per week.
