Interpreters to
help deaf patients
By Tabisa Mntengwana
17 October 2008
FIVE sign-language interpreters have been appointed by Buffalo City at three clinics to help deaf patients.
The three clinics – Berlin, Cambridge and John Dube in Scenery Park - were chosen as pilot sites. The move is part of the City’s aim to make clinics more user-friendly and accessible to the disabled.
Of an initial 10 interpreters, the five were chosen by a selection panel that included deaf people. “We selected 10 interpreters and had a group of deaf patients choose an interpreter they understood better,” said Hendrietta Bogapane-Zulu, a co-ordinator at the Centre for Municipal Research and Advice. She is also a member of parliament.
The project is also a response to challenges facing the disabled in getting information on HIV/Aids and other related issues.
Sinazo Mgwigwi, also from the centre, said: “The project is to ensure that deaf people have access to services in these three clinics … [It] is also to increase communication between health officials and the disabled.”
The sign language interpreters will be on call, and will come to the clinics on specific days to help health officials. “This will improve the access of information and give better basic health services,” Mgwigwi said.
At an orientation day, they were taught basic skills of professionalism, including punctuality, confidentiality, proper dress code and accuracy. “This will help you when you are in our workstations to work better with your colleagues,” Bogopane-Zulu said.
Starting work on Saturday, 1 November, the five sign interpreters will be at these clinics for 11months.
Based on the success of the pilot phase, the City would look into installing sign language interpreters at its other clinics, Bogopane-Zulu added.
“We will make sure we have information at hand for the blind. We have already distributed more than 500 pamphlets with HIV/Aids information for the deaf and we will continue to do so at these clinics.”
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