The Shanghai Red Cross is on the hunt for volunteers to help out in local hospitals, it said on the 60th World Red Cross Day yesterday.

Volunteers will talk to patients, play with sick children, visit patients at special festivals, and help care for terminal patients at 10 city hospitals, most of which are for children and the elderly.

The organization said it has received hundreds of calls from potential recruits since it launched the project on Monday.

"We want volunteers to accompany children by telling stories, playing games, and directing their studies," said Tian Yongbo, a Shanghai Red Cross official. "We hope that volunteers can work here every day. Currently we have a number of people from universities and some charity facilities, but these volunteers don't receive proper training and move away quickly."

Tian said hospitals need trained volunteers with basic medical knowledge, certain social experiences and proper communication skills.

"It is a long term project, so we need volunteers that can work at least once a month and keep serving for one year and more. All volunteers must provide their details and undergo interviews," she said. "They will receive free training at the Red Cross and go to hospitals after passing an exam."

Chen Yuting from Shanghai Children's Medical Center, one of the hospitals included in the program, said volunteers can play a very important role alongside professional care.

"The most important thing is that they should remain at the hospital for some time, which is good for management and helps them build a solid relationship with patients," Chen said. "We are glad that the Red Cross can organize such a team, as hospitals lack the staff to specially recruit and train volunteers."

Also yesterday, Shanghai Red Cross said its child hospitalization mutual foundation has paid 580 million yuan (US$75.32 million) in medical expenses for local children in the past 10 years.

(Shanghai Daily May 9, 2007)