Oncologist and Playback singer enthral patients

: It was an entirely new experience for patients at the Government Hospital here to listen to renowned oncologist Dr V P Gangadharan play evergreen songs from the movie "Chemmeen" on his bulbul tarang, at the 'Arts and Medicine' series of the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
Today's was the 25th programme of the series organised by the foundation here.
Award winning playback singer Sithara Krishnakumar rendered soulful melodies for the patients on the occasion.
The "Arts and Medicine" project is being conducted by the KBF in association with the Mehboob Memorial Orchestra with the aim of providing healing and solace through art.

'Doctors are generally trained to treat a human body. They are never taught to cure an ailing mind. Only an artist can touch the human mind and give solace," said Dr V P Gangadharan, who heads the Oncology Department at the private Lakeshore Hospital here.
An amateur musician himself, he plays the bulbul tarang, a stringed instrument known as the "Indian Banjo" commonly used in film and folk songs.