At Chennai's Kaveri Hospital, clowns reach out to anxious, stressed out and traumatised patients.
In the pediatric ward of a hospital in Chennai, five-year-old Azad, battling renal problems, is all cheerful and smiles at the. Two clowns just engaged him with tricks and witty conversation.
For the last one week, Azad was dull, traumatised and couldn't attend classes.
"I'm happy that he's enjoying their company... he was sad and sleeping over the last week," said the five-year-old's mother Noorjahan.
At Chennai's Kaveri Hospital, these clowns reach out to anxious, stressed out and traumatised patients every Wednesday. In no time, they strike a conversation and engage with patients. They also use aids to spread cheer to the ward or the patient's room or even the nurses and support staff.
Pandiammal, a geriatric patient, was roaring with laughter when the team showed a magic bulb that would glow only if she's 'happy'. In a jiffy the serious looking senior citizen laughed and the bulb turned on.
Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Director of the hospital, says, "The clown therapy improves the patient's outcome as it results in happiness of the patient, improving their speed of recovery and reducing their duration of stay here."
When asked is this a kind of entertainment, he added, "We all are sad to be in a hospital. We need an entertainment to get back to our normal life in that sense".
Is it a challenging task? Krishna Kumar, Artistic Director of The Little Theatre he's part of, feels, "Well, the biggest challenge is the hospital is a place where people are really stressed, but, there's always that little soul inside, that wants to be happy."
The team also visits government hospitals free of cost to spread cheer among poor patients.
Dr Rohini Rau, duty doctor, explains "It is not a one-time affair. The happiness they bring to patients spreads to their family and even the hospital staff. Many actually long for the visit by clowns."