Humor wards in hospitals pushed

MANILA, Philippines - Since laughter is the best medicine, a neophyte lawmaker is pushing for the establishment of humor wards in all hospitals nationwide to help patients relax and deal with pain.

Masbate Rep. Scott Davies Lanete said his proposal, contained in House Bill 5414, is envisioned to improve the health care industry that will translate to “a happier and satisfied citizenry.”

Lanete, a medical doctor by profession, said studies show that humor therapy helps patients relax, aiding them in dealing with and accepting pain. Although it is unproven that laughter has a direct causation with health improvements, it cannot be denied that it reduces stress and enhances a person’s quality of life.

“This is particularly applicable to cancer patients who need every bit of optimism as they face seemingly never-ending sessions of chemotherapy which, needless to say, involves a huge degree of pain,” he added.

Many hospitals and treatment centers around the world have set up special rooms with humorous materials for the purpose of making people laugh, such as movies, audio recordings, books, games and puzzles.

Many medical institutions also have volunteers who visit patients to make them laugh. Some cancer treatment centers offer humor therapy in addition to standard treatments.

“However, the Philippines has yet to apply this simple yet effective medical innovation,” Lanete said.

As defined in the measure, a humor ward shall refer to a room with a seat capacity of at least 20 persons and contains humorous materials designed to make people laugh, such as but not limited to movies, audio recordings, books, games and puzzles.

All public and privately owned hospitals are covered and mandated to establish a humor ward that shall offer therapy free of charge. Each humor ward shall be equipped with adequate number of personnel, preferably nurses and staff qualified to induce laughter among patients.

The bill mandates the Department of Health to issue the necessary guidelines to implement the measure.