After a year and a half, the Klown Doctors have gone back to clowning at the hospital – a moment that has been eagerly expected.

The excitement of the Klown Doctors can be seen in their eyes, even if their masks cover their mouths when they walk through the hospital corridors. What a relief to be able to share some smiles and laughter with hospitalised children, their families and the nurses caring for them.

Dr Klown, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this November, is a non-governmental organisation that provides dedicated clowning services, including distraction and relief through fun and laughter, to hospitalized children in Malta and Gozo.

Being in a hospital setting can be quite daunting and overwhelming, and having a friendly face being ready to distract the child is most often than not, greatly welcomed.

The Klown Doctors are very discreet and will always seek permission from the child and parent or guardian before entering the room.

Also, they will only attempt to distract and provide a moment of relief to the child if they are welcome to do so by the parents/guardians.

Dr Klown is made up of about 40 volunteers, 27 of whom are Klown Doctors, and the others being responsible for the administrative running of the organization.

The Klown Doctors are not clowns who perform at an event and could never be asked to be; they are a particular breed of clown who are professionally trained to clown for hospitalized children and their families.

Many believe that being a caring clown is accessible to all, but we should point out that it takes around 18 months to ‘graduate’ as a Klown Doctor.

In order to clown for young patients who are unwell, one needs to be trained for that purpose and be able to connect with the child and their family despite the difficulties which might arise.

The Klown Doctors do not get personal and are only given information which they need to have at hand before clowning.

Becoming a Klown Doctor requires 12 months of artistic skills and psychological training, and another six months of shadowing a more experienced Klown Doctor in the ward.

They enter the hospital wards in pairs and perform a number of visits.

Psychological training is ongoing, where they attend peer sessions and they share their difficulties and are given support by the other Klown Doctors and a professional psychologist.

The Klown Doctors are the ones on the ground with the young patients, making sure Dr Klown keeps on delivering the professional service it has over the last 10 years.

But like any organization, behind the Klown Doctors, there is an operational and administrative team that organizes the Klown Doctors’ schedule, comes up with projects and finds sponsors for specific projects, liaises with hospital, increases awareness of the organization and ensures the NGO is professionally run.

The president and vice-president and the committee leading the organization meet on a regular basis to align and make sure the NGO functions properly.

During the coronavirus pandemic, sanitary restrictions were imposed and Klown Doctors could not visit children in hospital.

It was a frustrating time for many who strive to bring some joys and laughter to these children. This was not a situation the NGO was ready for, like most organizations.

Dr Klown has, however, worked hard to put together virtual visits. The team needed to be trained, the technology implemented and the unknown of the virtual visit faced.

With the help of sponsors and volunteers, we were given access to a meeting room where the Klown Doctors could carry out their virtual visits – the room is equipped with props, laptops and all that is needed to make sure each visit is successful.

Although Klown Doctors are now back in the wards, Dr Klown will keep on providing virtual visits to children who are recovering at home or those Maltese children who need to travel abroad for further medical treatment.

Dr Klown has always worked very closely with hospital staff and Klown Doctors have been briefed and always followed a set of guidelines to avoid the spread of any viruses.

Today, as Klown Doctors go back to the ward, these guidelines are applied again and strictly adhered to.

The coronavirus pandemic has opened a new door to Dr Klown, and the organization hopes to keep on using what it has learnt and built on.

To learn more about Dr Klown, visit www.drklown.org.