On the Canberra Hospital's children's ward, these clown doctors offer a unique sort of healing and support

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Clown doctors often conjure up the idea of balloons and funny faces, but for those employed at the Canberra Hospital, it's more about providing a unique kind of support to young people during difficult times.

The wards of Canberra Hospital are usually filled with medical staff attending to sick patients on what can be some of their patients' worst days.

"Therapeutic clowning is what we put down on our insurance policy. And so it's quite different from stage clowning," Dr Holiday says. "I just thought what they were doing was amazing, and I thought I could do the job, and I thought I'd enjoy the job."Clown doctors require specialist training to work in collaboration with medical and healthcare staff in sensitive hospital environments.

The clown doctors' program is run and funded by the Humour Foundation, a national charity that was set up in 1996 by general practitioner Dr Peter Spitzer and professional performer Jean-Paul Bell.Now there are 65 clown doctor performers working across 21 hospitals and one hospice in Australia.

 

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