WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED – MUSIC FOR THE BODY AND SOUL

Eminent doctors from various hospitals in the city turned up for duty at the General Hospital in Kochi on Wednesday. They had gathered to try their hand at bringing solace to patients in a unique fashion – music therapy.

The doctors turned the hospital into a ‘music therapy lab’ by taking up the microphone to render melodies to soothe patients. The “Doctors singing for patients” programme was organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) as part of their “Arts and Medicine” project.  It was held under the aegis of the cultural wing of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said a press release. “As far as the IMA is concerned, this novel initiative is a new step forward,” IMA Cochin chapter president Babu John Mathews said during his introductory remarks.

Patients, bystanders, medical students and staff turned up at the programme venue inside the hospital campus to attend the unique musical treat. “Programmes like this will help change society’s negative, often hostile, perception towards hospitals,” IMA cultural wing State chairperson T.N. Chandrika said.

Eminent doctors such as M. Venugopal, the Cochin chapter chairman of IMA cultural wing, Junaid Rahman, Medical Director of the Ernakulam Government Medical College, Rani Vinod, Mohan George Madhavamangalam, Cia Moideen, G.N. Ramesh, Balamuralikrishna, Manoj Kusra and Jayachandran participated in the programme, according to a communication.

“The main goal of this project has been accomplished after this programme by the doctors,” KBF research coordinator Bonny Thomas said, while delivering the welcome address. “Without the doctors’ participation, the programme would have been left incomplete.”

The doctors sang melodies from popular Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam films, including ‘Ilayanila’ from the film ‘Payanangal Mudivathillai,’ ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’ from ‘Blackmail,’ ‘Paattil Ee Paatil’ from ‘Pranayam,’ and ‘Pathinalam Ravudichaathu’ from ‘Maram.’ Wednesday’s programme was the 11th in the series being conducted by the KBF with guidance from Iva Fattorini, Chair of Global Arts and Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, and Ernakulam district administration. Mehboob Memorial Orchestra has been giving musical support to the programme.