Jamshedpur: Music is said to heal. So now, scores of patients admitted to Sadar Hospital in Khasmahal, the sole district hospital of East Singhbhum that's 3km from Jamshedpur, are getting some Bollywood music therapy.

In an arguably first of its kind move in the state, the government-run hospital is playing instrumental versions of old Bollywood hits - R.D. Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the likes - at a low volume at its three-bed labour room and three operating theatres since Saturday.

Music is played at the labour room from 9am to 9pm and 9am to 3pm at the operating theatres every day. If a patient objects to it, it will be stopped, the doctors assured this reporter on Monday, but none have so far complained. In fact, they seem to like it only.

Birsanagar resident Amlen Soy, 28, who delivered a healthy baby boy by C-Section on Monday morning, said the music being played helped her relax before childbirth. "It felt good," she smiled. "I was a bit tense. The music helped," she said but could not say what the tunes were except that one was a "Rakhee-Amitabh song".

East Singhbhum civil surgeon Dr Maheshwar Prasad said he believed this was the first sadar hospital in the state to start this innovative approach to de-stress anxiety and lessen pain.

"We started music therapy experimentally at Sadar Hospital and if patients continue to like it all community health centres will have this facility. The response of patients in the first two days has been positive," he said.

Hospital superintendent Dr Veena Singh, a gynaecologist, claimed music helped a patient to unwind. "Our audio system plays instrumental versions of old Hindi films at labour and OT rooms. It creates a soothing ambience and eases anxiety before an operation. Studies say pleasant music triggers the release of dopamine which makes a person feel good. So in a way music helps to alleviate pain. It also distracts from pain after surgery," she said.

Well-known Jamshedpur psychiatrist associated with Tata Main Hospital, Dr Manoj Kumar Sahoo, said music did help soothe patients for the short-term at least. "I am not aware of a proper case study on the benefits of music for post-operative patients. But pleasant music at a low volume can distract a patient from pain and ease anxiety for a mother-to-be," he said.

The 100-bed Sadar Hospital was launched in September 2013. The hospital conducts operations for gynaecology, ENT and orthopaedic cases. On an average, four or five patients are operated on daily. In-patients apart, over 400 turn up at the OPDs daily.