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A PRESCRIPTION for big smiles was just what the doctor ordered when members of the Microsoft team in Bahrain visited patients in Salmaniya Hospital's Paediatric Cancer (Oncology) Unit.
The unit was established in 2007 and is headed by Dr Hassan Al Mukharraq who stopped by to welcome the guests along with a party of medical students.
He said: "We want to ensure the children feel as comfortable as possible and try to create a loving atmosphere. This sort of initiative really helps with our endeavours."
During the visit, the younger patients had their faces painted while the older children, their parents and volunteers enjoyed a quiz session before the company's team presented them with an Xbox 360 console and games to help keep them entertained as they battle to recover from illness.
Racha Diwan, Microsoft's country marketing executive, said: "We thought it would be a good gesture to use a Microsoft product to bring happiness to these children, which is why we brought along the Xbox.
"While the event did not last more than a couple of hours, we will be coming back to the unit in a few months with more games. This is not the end for us."
Patient Mahmood Abdul Nabi, 14, from Eker, enjoyed playing with the visitors in the unit's recreational centre.
He said: "I had a lot of fun especially during the trivia game. It was nice of them to come and visit us. I can't wait to play with the Xbox. Fortunately, I don't stay at the hospital for long periods but at least I will have something to do when I am here. This unit has been great for kids like me."
Cancer is a class of disease characterised by out-of-control cell growth and early detection can greatly improve the odds of survival. Treatment depends on the type of cancer and how much it has spread. There is no single treatment and patients often receive a combination of therapies and palliative care such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or gene therapy.
Parents also praised the visitors for their generosity and sparing the time to visit, such as one-year-old Rahaf Ali's mother, who was too shy to be named, but was emotionally overwhelmed as she watched her daughter enjoy the activities.
She said: "My daughter was diagnosed with cancer of the stomach. It has been hard for us but we try to keep our heads up. To see my little girl smiling and playing with others warms my heart. It was a good day for all of us - the parents as well as the children."
Layla A Rasool, head of the patients' relations office, said: "The parents are often the ones who suffer silently when their children are sick.
"While the patients enjoyed the activities the most, I think it was the mothers who truly appreciated what was happening."
Pediatric resident, Bushra Al Alawi, 28, agreed. She said: "Most of our patients stay here for one week, leave and then come back again. Initiatives like this are great for the children and for their parents. It makes them feel as if they are not alone."
Like many community-minded enterprises in Bahrain, Microsoft staff regularly participate in an Employee Volunteer Programme where their time, energy and resources are used to contribute to the development and benefit of the local community.
Microsoft Gulf - Bahrain country manager, Badea Esbai, a father-of-three, decided to start off this year's charitable initiatives around children - taking a cue from his own son, Noah, 14, who volunteers at various hospitals as part of Ibn Khuldoon National School's outreach programme. He said: "I am very proud of Noah and his classmates. I discussed the idea of providing games as well as interacting with the kids with him and he thought it was a great idea.
"Being around the children was such a privilege and being able to put a smile on their faces was extremely rewarding."
