‘Giggle Doctors’ cheer up children patients
You might occasionally hear gales of laughter coming from wards and corridors of Hong Kong Children's Hospital (HKCH), and spot several colourfully dressed ‘doctors' surrounded by children. They wear gown, but they are not medical doctors; they do not manage diseases, yet they heal the soul – they are the ‘Giggle Doctors' dedicated to bringing joy to paediatric patients.
Since the commencement of HKCH, ‘Giggle Doctors' from a non-governmental organisation have been stationing to offer companionship that provides a sense of solace to children. Dr Fei Fei notes that every ‘Giggle Doctor' has their own strengths, and hers is magic. "We hope to achieve something ‘more than happy' and alleviate children's fears. Children are afraid of injections and medication most, so I take a ‘happy syringe' out of my magic pocket to specifically transform their fears into playful experience," she says.
From eight-month-old infants to eighteen-year-old adolescents, Dr Fei Fei believes that staying on-trend is essential to start a conversation with them – from Pikachu in older times to recent trends such as Chiikawa, Labubu, and even the online game Honor of Kings.
Dr Fei Fei admits that everyone has negative emotions at times. "But the moment I step through the ‘Hu-du-men' into the ward, I leave myself behind. I wish children could have a pleasant experience in the hospital," she says.
Accompanying patients to operating theatre to reduce anxiety
Yvonne Lam, Social Work Officer (Patient Resource Centre) of HKCH, points out that the ‘Giggle Doctors' who have undergone professional training in arts and healthcare settings, are good at interacting with paediatric patients. There are four ‘Giggle Doctors' at HKCH who work in wards, specialist outpatient clinic (SOPC) and operating theatres. "It is inevitable for children to feel terrified about surgery. ‘Giggle Doctors' would accompany them into the operating theatres and increase their understanding of the surgery through games to alleviate their anxiety," says Yvonne.
Yvonne explains that ‘Giggle Doctors' can change the atmosphere of wards. Parents sometimes call to inquire about the location of the ‘Giggle Doctors'. In the midst of uncertainties, seeing a long-lost smile on their child's face gives parents a glimmer of hope.
From a single balloon to a magic syringe, the ‘Giggle Doctors' are healing patients' souls with joy in their own unique way.
