Meet The "Clownselors" Spreading Smiles In Delhi Hospitals

"While the doctors treated patients with medicines, we cured them with laughter," says the medical clown

A typical work day for Sheetal Agarwal involves putting on a colourful wig and a red nose to cheer up recuperating children in hospitals. Ms Agarwal is the founder of Clownselors - a medical clowning group in which volunteers dress up as clowns to visit hospitals with the aim of providing emotional relief to patients. "Clownseling or medical clowning is a therapy used to reduce pain, anxiety and stress using humor," she explained in a blog post. 

Delhi-based Ms Agarwal recently sat down with Humans of Bombay to talk about the ins and outs of her unique job, the people her group has helped and more. Ms Agarwal is a social anthropologist by training and a lecturer by profession, but she describes herself as a big clown at heart. 

"I was at a retreat in 2016 when I met a 'medical clown'," she told Humans of Bombay. Inspired by the woman, who described her job as "visiting hospitals and making people smile", Ms Agarwal started reading about medical clowns. She was also inspired by Patch Adams, a movie about a doctor who treats patients using humour. 

"I wanted to give medical clowning a shot. But it was still a new concept in Delhi," she said. So Ms Agarwal sought permission from the health ministry and, once she had it, began preparing for her first hospital visit.