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Superhealth CEO defends Bengaluru hospital music event after backlash: 'Hospitals do not need to be scary places'
Superhealth founder and CEO Varun Dubey has defended the 'music night' hosted at the hospital in Bengaluru,
Superhealth founder and CEO Varun Dubey has issued a statement defending the 'music night' hosted at the hospital in Bengaluru after the unusual event drew criticism online.
The event had sparked criticism after videos from the hospital's musical night surfaced online, with several people questioning the appropriateness of hosting a music event at a healthcare facility.
Addressing the backlash in an X post, Dubey said the idea behind Superhealth was to create "hospitals that don't scare people" and acknowledged that hosting a musical event inside a hospital could sound unusual.
"This Saturday night, we tried something unusual: we hosted a musical event at the hospital. I know how that sounds a little WTF. And plenty of people have been outraged by it. But hear me out," he wrote.
Dubey said that the guest list for the event was curated, while patients and their attendants were also invited. He said that several patients and attendants attended the event for different reasons, including boredom, distraction or simply because hospitals could feel lonely.
Explaining the arrangements, Dubey said that the hospital's OPDs were closed at 8 pm, while the event began at 10 pm with registration in the OPD lobby. "Everything else took place in the basement, mezzanine and fourth-floor (our office)," he wrote.
He stressed that active inpatient areas were kept completely off-limits and were separated from the event by multiple floors and extensive sound insulation. "To be absolutely clear: no music or event related sound reached the patients. Not 'almost zero.' Zero," Dubey said.
(Also Read: Bengaluru hospital's 'music night' draws criticism despite strict 'house rules': 'This is so tone deaf')
Superhealth CEO addresses criticism
The CEO also addressed criticism of the event, saying the controversy highlighted how people have come to associate hospitals with fear, coldness and sadness. "It reveals how deeply we have accepted hospitals as places that must feel cold, frightening and morose. The mere suggestion that a hospital could also be warm, hopeful-perhaps even joyful-feels wrong to us," he wrote.
Dubey argued that the atmosphere of hospitals could influence how people approach healthcare. He questioned why people avoid hospitals, delay tests or ignore symptoms until health problems become more serious. "Patients do not want to live in a morose environment. Their attendants do not either," he said.
"If we can offer people a few hours of distraction, warmth or joy without compromising their care or rest, we believe that effort is worth making. Hospitals do not need to be scary places. We are going to keep pushing that belief," he added.
Dubey also invited those who were disturbed by the event to attend the next one and see how it was organised. "As I always say, I hope you never need a hospital. But if you do, I hope you find one that is warm, inviting and kind not one that is lonely, morose and scary," he concluded.
