Israel’s ‘medical clown’ cheers up Bogo patients

Like his American counterpart Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams, 37-year-old professional medical clown Moshe Twito provides entertainment to patients in his native Israel.

Yesterday, the Israeli embassy tapped Twito’s services for the patients confined in the Cebu Provincial Hospital Bogo City. Twito specializes in clowning therapy for patients.

Twito first greeted the patients inside the makeshift tents outside the hospital building.

He shook their hands and made a trumpet sound every time their hands touched. Children swarmed at him as if seeing a celebrity.

After entertaining the media with one of his routines, Twito went straight inside the Severo Verallo Memorial Medical Center to visit the patients.

After handing out handmade balloons to kids and nurses along the hallways, he went straight to the pediatric ward where he performed magic tricks.

Twito went from bed to bed to reach out to the kids and their wards.

Expressions

Among his many antics were creating animal and heart shaped-balloons, blowing bubbles and popping them with his fingers, mimicking other people’s expressions, and pulling out long handkerchiefs knotted together out of his mouth.

He also took the time to speak to the patients and asked them how they were doing.

“Nahimuot ko iya. Nalingaw gyud mi labi na katong ni duol siya diri para atong bubbles-bubbles.” (I was amazed by him. My grandchild and I were entertained, especially when he went to us and blew bubbles),” said Annabelle Monares, grandmother of 11-year-old patient John Nino Monares.

Size of his shoes

Agrepina Gracia said her 21-year old son Kevin Gracia was entertained by Twito’s antics despite nursing a high fever.

“When Twito passed by, I immediately told Kevin to look at him. The size of his shoes would grab your attention,” she said.

“Clowning therapy” is believed to ‘pacify young patients as they are more relaxed when undergoing a procedure. Improvements in physiological and emotional health have also been noted,” Twito said.

Twito is a senior member of the Dream Doctors Project-an Israeli organization specializing in clowning therapy.

He said their organization started in 2002 with only three professional clowns.

Degree program

Today, Dream Doctors Project employs over 90 medical clowns in 29 hospitals in Israel.

Israeli deputy ambassador Adam Levene said in their country, clowning therapy is a three-year degree program.

Students will learn “the art of being a clown, social work, anatomy, basic medicine, basic social-worker psychology,” Levene said.

He said the local governments have been cooperative with the embassy.

“The government here is wonderful. To be honest, I’m saying this not just to be polite. As an embassy we don’t get into political issues…The speed in which things are dealt with here, from our experience, was very fast,” Levene said.

Levene said an Israeli medical team of 150 professionals treated “close to 3,000 patients.”

A medical team from Myanmar occupied the tents given by the Israelis outside the medical center. The Myanmar team will hold a health workshop in Bogo City.