Once upon a time, a woman who was dumps and was sent to the
Adabraka polyclinic. unable to talk to the doctor about her ailment so, she
decided to make use of the sign language which unfortunately the doctor could
not understand.an interpreter was absent, which eventually led to the doctor
prescribing the wrong medication as he was unable to decode the message the sick
lady was communicating. This further worsened the already terrible situation
the lady had found herself.
The scenario I have just illustrated above tells the sad
situation of persons with disabilities more especially the deaf and dumb and
what hell they have to endure every time they urgently need healthcare at
health facilities nationwide.
As a responsible and concerned citizen of the republic of Ghana,
I think it is high time our medical personnel’s received training in sign
language and training in other programmes that will ensure that persons with
various degrees of disabilities are given the necessary and proper medical care
so that they will not have to struggle to receive healthcare that abled
Ghanaians access.
This in my estimation is discrimination as chapter five:
article 29, clause (6) clearly states:
“Every place to which the public have access shall have
appropriate facilities for disabled persons”.
Some people, Mr.Editor may argue that rams have being built
for the physically disabled and the blind are able to explain their predicament
to the doctor when ill bur my question is this:
What about the deaf and dumb? Surely no provision is made
for them as many medical personnel in this country cannot communicate with
these persons.
I will like to use this media platform to appeal to our
various medical institutions, Ghana Education Service and the teaching
hospitals to include in their syllabus the sign language and other short
courses that will empower the medical staff of Ghana to deliver excellent
service to our brothers and sisters with hearing and speech disabilities. Thank
you
Christiana Afua Nyarko
Level 300
Ghana Institute of Journalism
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