Educating Children about MRI Procedures through Play-Based Learning

Thu, 26 Feb 2026, 22:07 WIB | By indrastuti | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Social Policy

Headline

The overdue payment issue needs to be resolved first while considering the economic conditions.

The ASEAN Foundation concluded its regional programme, “CALM MRI – Fear to Confidence: Learning through Play with LEGO MRI Kits Programme” by holding the CALM MRI Learn and Play Day 3.0 forum in Jakarta on Thursday (26/2). This event showcased the results of the programme, which aims to help children understand the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) procedure through a play-based learning approach.

The forum brought together implementing partners, healthcare professionals, community organisations, and stakeholders from Indonesia and Singapore. In addition to presenting the final programme report, the event also featured a panel discussion on the experiences of implementation and the impact of the play-based education approach in children’s healthcare.

In his speech, Syed Edwan emphasised that the programme had a real impact on children. “This data is important. But the impact behind it is even more meaningful,” said Syed Edwan, referring to the programme’s success in helping children overcome anxiety in the face of medical procedures.

Dr Sonya Anderson described the programme as a concrete example of cross-border collaboration. “We are proud to present a mission that transcends national borders: to bring comfort, inspire learning, and build the emotional resilience of children undergoing medical procedures,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ardi Hendharto said that the programme opened up a new approach to helping children cope with medical procedures. Through play-based learning, children can understand the MRI procedure in a more friendly way and build their self-confidence.

The discussion, which featured Tyas Amalia, Sarah Rauzana, Dr. Asiyah Nida Khafiyya, and the Vice President of Assistant United Way Mumbai, was lively and engaging. In the panel moderated by Mahmudi Yusbi, Head of Strategic Planning and Business Development of the ASEAN Foundation, the panellists shared their experiences on the implementation of the programme, including how the LEGO MRI model was used to help children understand medical procedures that previously seemed frightening in Indonesia, Singapore and India.

The CALM MRI programme is a collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation, United Way Worldwide, and the LEGO Group. From August 2025 to January 2026, a total of 648 LEGO MRI scanner sets were distributed to eight implementing partners in Indonesia and one in Singapore. The programme also involved more than 20 hospitals, health education institutions, and children’s organisations, and reached more than 1,000 children and families through more than 50 educational sessions.

In the programme report presentation, the ASEAN Foundation stated that the play-based learning approach helped to improve children’s understanding of the MRI procedure. Several implementing partners reported changes in children’s attitudes, from showing anxiety to being more prepared and cooperative after participating in educational sessions using the LEGO MRI model.

Healthcare professionals involved in the programme also noted that children who had participated in the educational sessions were more likely to undergo examinations easily. In addition, the interactive sessions helped to strengthen communication between medical staff, children, and parents in preparing for medical procedures. Healthcare professionals involved in the programme also noted that children who had participated in the educational sessions were more likely to undergo examinations easily.

In addition, the interactive sessions helped to strengthen communication between medical staff, children, and parents in preparing for medical procedures. Furthermore, the ASEAN Foundation team found that the percentage of children requiring anaesthesia decreased after participating in learning sessions using the LEGO MRI Scanner. This play-based educational approach is considered to help children understand the examination process more thoroughly, so they feel more calm, cooperative, and confident when undergoing the MRI procedure.

The CALM MRI Learn and Play Day 3.0 event was attended by almost one hundred participants, consisting of implementing partners, healthcare professionals, community organisations, and other invitees. This event was the last in a series of activities, following the CALM MRI Learn and Play Day 1.0 held in August 2025 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta and the Learn and Play Day 2.0 held in November 2025 in Singapore. The discussions also highlighted the importance of a child-centred approach in healthcare, as well as opportunities to develop similar educational methods in the future.

The CALM MRI programme is part of a regional initiative in the Indo-Pacific region, with a total of more than 1,000 LEGO MRI scanner sets distributed. Indonesia and Singapore each received 324 sets.

Through this forum, the ASEAN Foundation reaffirmed the importance of an educational approach that helps children understand medical procedures better, while also supporting the development of more child-friendly healthcare services.

View JSON | Print