Lightning McRuti: Catalan hospital smooths children’s trip to operating theater

Can Ruti introduces toy car instead of gurneys for patients under six

Dario, aged 3, driving the 'Rayo MacRuti' in Can Ruti hospital (by Jordi Pujolar)
Dario, aged 3, driving the 'Rayo MacRuti' in Can Ruti hospital (by Jordi Pujolar) / ACN

ACN | Badalona

February 19, 2019 04:45 PM

A toy car to take children to the operating theater and make children’s stay in hospital more bearable is the latest initiative by Badalona's Can Ruti hospital.

The Germans Trias i Pujol hospital (known as Can Ruti) has named the car ‘Rayo MacRuti,’ drawing inspiration from Pixar’s cartoon movie, Cars, and its main character, Lightning McQueen.

“We want children to be less anxious when they go into the operating theater. We’ve been using clowns and other initiatives to make it more normal, which is the car's objective,” said Marta de Diego, the head of pediatric surgery at Can Ruti.