We enabled through the HCIM2026 scholarship program set up by our founding member Fondation Theodora, the European trip of the clown doctor Sriharsha from The Doctor Parrots, from Bangalore / India. After the intense HCIM2026 week, EFHCO could organise with the strong support of 3 Belgian clown doctor organisations on-site visits, Sriharsha shares his newly made hospital experiences:
🔴”Firstly, it was very interesting to observe hospital clown sessions by different organizations in three different hospitals. I was pleased to meet with most of their team members and had the opportunity to engage in a number of productive discussions. My role as representative for Doctor Parrots’ administrative and artistic practices provided me with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of their operations from both perspectives.
👉 The hospital clown shifts at the ‘University Hospital Citadelle’ in Liège, served by “Rire à l’Hôpital“, the “Clowns à l’Hôpital” program at the ‘University Hospital Erasmus’ in Brussels, were primarily assigned to the children’s wards, and the shift of “Dr. Zinszins” at the Brussels “Queen Fabiola Pediatric Hospital” was that day predominantly with infants and their parents. It is noteworthy that all three organisations adhere to a comparable process in their approach to each shift, which typically commences with a highly energetic clown parade. This effectively changes the atmosphere in the hospital corridors without requiring significant artists’ energy.
❤️ The clowns visit each room with the child and their caretakers, which is a departure from our hospital’s approach in Bangalore. We work at a government hospital that houses dormitories, shared by many parents and their children. It was evident in all three locations that the clowns have become an integral part of the healthcare team. They are highly regarded by the staff, which speaks volumes about the organizations’ unwavering dedication and ongoing commitment.
A huge inspiration for us who have started recently.
🧸 🫧There were a lot of similarities with our work which was a pleasure to observe as the language of play is so universal and the same games work everywhere, irrespective of the geography, language, age, etc. Simple games like hi fives, shake hands, ball games, games with scarfs, instruments were the same. I was pleased to find this like-minded community in Belgium. What was different from what we have learnt and now practice, that the clowns speak with children and parents, often performing music and using devices like bubbles almost as a template. In Bangalore, we don’t speak a lot, using gibberish if we have to and we don’t use any such devices nor we leave behind any toys like crazy balls at the ward, which I observed during my time on the hospital floors. This topic led always to an engaging discussion.
✍During my three on-site visits, I also had the opportunity to speak with founders and administrators. I was able to gain a deeper understanding of their program and discuss their strategies for maintaining positive relationships with hospitals and securing funding for their healthcare clown programs.
Overall summary of my European visits and contacts in March 2026:
🌍 There are committed fellows in healthcare clown organisations around the globe, to whom Dr. Parrots can now reach out for support. This will help us to feel less lonely when running our program at home. Therefore, I thank from the bottom of my heart, EFHCO and everybody involved in this exchange program, cherishing those memories and use them as my motivation to sustain our work in Bangalore / India.”
