An English adage says, "laughter is the best medicine". these troubling times, good humour is need more than ever. Doctors and medical staff are taking heed this and incorporating it their care treatments. One product of this is the emergence clown doctors and healthcare clowns in hospitals around the globe. There is even an organisation that sets standards. The European Federation Healthcare Clowns Organisations was established in 2011. It says: "Healthcare clowns bring moments happiness and distraction to children who are ill or who have special needs....Clowns also bring smiles to vulnerable adults, including seniors and people dementia who are in hospital care."
Healthcare clowns are becoming especially popular Israel, which is considered a world leader the field. The first university ever to offer a Bachelor's degree in medical clowning was Haifa University, in 2007. One healthcare clown Jerusalem, Leah Weiss, decided to divert her inner clown to help patients after a COVID-19 ward opened in March. She said she knew the clown her would have therapeutic benefits her patients. She wants to reduce their anxiety and improve their wellbeing. She enjoys working alongside doctors and said: "Obviously, the doctors, they take care the body. And we come and take care the soul. And it integrates together - the doctors understand this.
