From our Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, July 22: Patients, general and critical, while undergoing treatment for a longer or shorter period in a hospital or nursing home, often get upset mentally being in the same environ for days. It has been observed that being confined to general bed in general ward or in cabin, a patient feels a sort of boredom and wishes early release to be with his family members and friends. Dr Manujvendra Syam, a renowned physician attached to the oldest and premier Nursing home for women and child, better known as Shiva Sundari Nari Shiksha Ashram, said while interacting with this scribe that going beyond the ‘medicines, injections and operations’, a new concept in treatment of patients is gaining ground.

Whatever might be the type or nature of disease or ailment of a patient, he has had to live under stress and strains due to the complexity of life. Once admitted in a treatment centre, he wants variation, apart from regular visits of doctors and administration of medicines. The faces of nurses around him for days make him ‘irritating’.

In such a situation or environment confined within the four walls of a hospital, Dr Syam said to boost up a patient psychology and overcome the ‘irritation’, in advanced western countries and even in some select superspeciality centres of treatment, ‘music-therapy’ is taken up as a part of his treatment. The music played is both classical or modern, depending more on the choice. He referred to the all time highly acclaimed drama of Rabindranath Tagore Griha Pravesh in which the protagonist of the play, who is ill and in a nursing home, is treated more through ‘music therapy’ than the routine method of treatment.

Apart from that ‘painting therapy’ is also being applied, Dr Syam pointed out. This kind of therapy is based on the display of paintings of classic as well as modern time painters. Most preferred are those of Monalisa by Leonardo da la Vinchi or the creations of Picasso, Abanindranath Tagore and others reputed and respected for their aesthetic sense and sensibility. This helps the ill and sick to feel eased and recuperate early, pointed out Dr Syam. Experiment is on with other sorts of therapy as well, he added.