Clowns required for public hospitals in Argentine province

Kogan said clowns don’t just make children and their families feel better about being in a hospital, but also help doctors get information from children who are shy, have been abused or are not able to communicate for any reason.

Alejo Lacone, a 9-year-old left paralyzed after being hit by a car in March, is a good example of how that works. Because of a tracheotomy, the boy can’t speak.

However, three clowns at the Central Hospital of Pediatrics Dr. Claudio Zin, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, are able to get him to smile by acting out in front of him. The clowns come to the hospital every Thursday, making the rounds to rooms with children.

“The clowns put on their noses and invite you to play with them,” said hospital director Carlos Kambourian, adding that the therapeutic method is based on one used by Miami Children’s Hospital.

Ludmila Arredes, Alejo Lacone’s 19-year-old cousin, said the clowns have given the child something to look forward to.

“Since the clowns began coming, the nurses have noticed a difference, and so they have asked that they come more frequently,” she said.

Under the law, hospitals will have wide leeway to decide how many clowns come and how frequently.

The province of Buenos Aires is home to about 15 million people and has more than 70 public hospitals. It borders the separate city of Buenos Aires.