Tens of thousands of people gathered in Romania ‘s capital Saturday to sit down at a miles-long table to break a Guinness record and raise money for what organisers said will be the country’s first pediatric psychiatry hospital.
The event brought together a reported 20,000 people at the many tables, many of which were decorated with flowers and snacks.
“The current section at Obregia Hospital operates in an old, overcrowded space, which no longer meets the medical and emotional needs of children. … It also states that the old facility’s lack of space can make private discussions with patients and their families challenging. The new five-level building will host medical offices, occupational therapy and virtual reality rooms, sensory and educational spaces, dedicated relaxation spaces, as well as a section dedicated to treating addiction among adolescents.
Money raised from the event will go toward a 3,900-square-metre children’s psychiatric facility within the Obregia Hospital complex in Bucharest. It is being funded by private donations and sponsorships and will cost an estimated 16.5 million euros, according to the Metropolis Foundation, which is behind the construction project. It means the chance to bring closer to reality a hospital that will benefit over 5,700 children facing severe mental illnesses annually. The hospital’s current pediatric psychiatry clinic has 62 beds, but wards with many beds that lack their own bathrooms, according to the foundation.
“It is a project that started from a real need,” the foundation states on its website. “We clearly want as many people as possible to donate (toward) the first psychiatric hospital for children,” said Alexa Vilcan of Bloom the World.
