Child patients at AKUH brighten up at Patch Adams’ antics

Patch Adams – American physician, comedian, activist and author of international fame – visited the Aga Khan University Hospital’s (AKUH) Children’s Hospital on Saturday to entertain child patients and their families with his antics.

Every year Adams organises a group of volunteers from around the world to travel to different countries, where they dress up as clowns to brighten up people, as they share their philosophy of love and compassion in caregiving.

The Children’s Hospital organised a children’s gala, a fun-filled afternoon of clowning with Adams and other doctors. Despite knowing little about Adams, a large number of ailing children and their families were overjoyed at his presence, as many of them burst into laughter at his silly and funny behaviour.

The programme’s organisers said the Children’s Hospital is leading the way in bringing a cultural shift in health care by making use of humour and laughter to serve patients. They have been training with Adams to employ clowning to help lighten up the hospital environment, which can be intimidating for children, and using love and compassion to make patients feel at ease more.

Dr Salman Kirmani, chairperson of the AKUH’s Department Paediatrics and Child Health, said this is exactly what children and their parents are looking for during such a stressful time. “We are privileged that we get to work with patients and help those who are in need, and we have found that during illness, besides our skills as doctors and our world-class medical facilities, what families are looking for is love and laughter. So we shall give them that.”

Dr Babar Hasan, service line chief of the paediatrics department, said: “Here at the AKUH we don’t want children to feel like they are coming to a hospital. They should see this as a funhouse.”

The clowning techniques as well as attending to patients with love and closeness has shown remarkable success. “Bed-ridden children start laughing and dancing when we wear funny hats and clown around with them,” said Naureen Lalani, nurse manager at the Children’s Hospital. “That moment brightens up not just the child’s day, but seeing their children happy and laughing has a tremendous impact on their parents as well.”