Belgian hospital built special booth so that pets can visit patients who are receiving palliative care or need to be hospitalized for a long timein an effort to enhance the good mental health of patients.

Most hospitals in the world do not allow visits from pets both for hygiene reasons and to prevent the risk of infections.

So, a long time the long-term patients in the Sint-Trudo Hospital who wanted to see their pets, had to do so in the hospital courtyard.

However, in conversations between cancer patients and psychologists at the hospital, the idea of ​​creating a specific enclosed space, separate from but connected to the hospital, was born, and the result is a pet visitation kiosk that opened its doors last month.

“For long-term patients, mental health is very important to their recovery and re-connecting with pets really helps,” said spokeswoman Miette Driessen at Sint-Trudo in Sint-Truden, Belgium.

The new space, the construction of which was funded with 140,000 euros by a charity for cancer patients, it allows patients to meet with their pets for one hour a week. Currently only dogs and cats are allowed.

For patient Greta Donney, 56, who is recovering from a listeria infection, meeting her dog Rambo gave her a morale and psychological boost.

“Seeing your dog alone doesn’t cure you, but it does lift your spirits”he stated, adding that it is also of great importance to the animal.

“You can’t explain to a dog what’s going on and why you’re away”he stated.