YOUNG patients at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center were cheered up yesterday by two clowns from Israel who performed magic and played games with them.

However, these are not your ordinary circus clowns, but medical clowns who work alongside hospital staff through treatment procedures in Israeli hospitals.

Nir Raz and Sarhan Mahamid were invited by the Israeli Consulate in Shanghai to promote the concept of clowning therapy by interacting with kids in three children’s hospitals in the city and provide training on interaction skills for local medical staff during their stay through Friday.