Mumbai: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy (JJ) Hospital has collaborated with the Israeli government to focus on the mental health of children admitted in its paediatric wards, by bringing in a therapeutic clown to cheer up its young patients.
Such a move will help drive away the cloud of depression that hangs over a child when they are hospitalised as government hospitals are mostly overcrowded and can make a sick child even more anxious.
Ward No. 30 of JJ hospital, which generally wears a quiet, forlorn look, was, for a change, filled with laughter on Friday. Therapeutic clown Neil Raj, 50, was flown all the way from Israel to bring smiles to the faces of the children in this ward. Nearly 70 paediatric patients and their families participated in this interaction.
Raj, who is a professional therapeutic clown, said, “We are not doctors but have acquired some medical knowledge from hospitals back home. This helps us explain medical conditions to the children in a simpler manner. In this way, not only they can understand their medical condition, but they can also be amused at the same time.”
Nimrod Kalmar, the deputy chief of mission at the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai, said, therapeutic clowns play an important role in treating child patients, by helping divert their minds and bringing a smile to their faces. “It is the first time we have collaborated with a state government through an exchange policy. A therapeutic clown has been roped in by the JJ hospital to amuse the children in the paediatric ward. It is a daily routine in Israel, with therapeutic clowns visiting oncology and paediatric departments of hospitals. This helps children build their immune power to combat other physical pain,” she said.
A group of doctors, including Dean Pallavi Saple, medical superintendent Dr Sanjay Surase and head of paediatrics Dr Nita Sute, participated in the activity.
Gaining popularity
With growing alternative forms of paediatric patient care, therapeutic clowning or medical clowning is gaining popularity in India. Clowns interact with patients through activities to help ease the anxiety of patients using dance, puppetry and props like balloons and toys.
