The Hospital of Stories

The aim of the project was to introduce the General University Hospital in Prague (VFN Prague) in a completely new and original way: through personal stories and experiences of patients, doctors and nurses – everyone whose life got in touch with VFN Prague for certain time. Nearly 2 million patients and their loved ones go through the hospital annually, and around 60,000 of them spend at least a few days there. They all need encouragement and they all may meet with the Hospital of Stories in some form.

 

Above all, the project wants to give hope and show that it always makes sense to fight.

 

First, it was necessary to contact the hospital management, the management of particular clinics, doctors, health professionals. We also found some interesting, communicative patients with various diagnoses. Those who would be willing to share a very personal story of their own health – to reveal how illness affected their loved ones, personal and professional life. Only then general public is able to identify with their problems and seek help. We met all of them in person, interviewed them and processed their tellings. At the moment, when 33 original, authentic fates were finished, we have started the project by vernissage, launching the website and addressing the media with a press release. Original graphics were also created with original slogan for each story and all of that was placed on website Nemocnicepříběhů.cz.

 

The Project continues with further activities

 

Individual stories were published on the hospital Facebook profile and in the internal hospital magazine Krizovatka. Although media coverage was not our primary goal, we have established cooperation with the media – the project has repeatedly appeared, among others, in Chvilka pro tebe (weekly magazine), Moje zdraví (monthly magazine) and Blesk.cz (web tabloid). Moje zdraví has even established a year-round collaboration with us. In printed form, the stories remain as a permanent exhibition in the hallways of the Faculty Clinic at Karlovo namesti and at the individual clinics of VFN Prague. The website Nemocnicepribehu.cz is still expanding with more stories. We shot a video with our heroes and their attending physicians talking about their illness and, above all, hope and their chances of recovery. In preparation there is a performance of some patients at educational events for the public. Another plan is to create an internal printed magazine with stories, which will be distributed to all inpatient departments and selected waiting rooms at the VFN ambulances. The hope needs to be spread all the time.