Ghanaian Health workers in Central Region to receive sign language training

Health workers numbering about forty nine from various health facilities at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) in the Central region are undergoing a three week sign language training.

The purpose of the training is to enable the participants, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, administrative staff, midwives and some teachers from nursing training institutions to offer quality services to clients with speech challenges.

The Public Relations Officer of the CCTH, Mr Frederick Nyankah, said that the course was to help equip the employees to break the language barriers for clients with speech challenges to be able to serve them better.

He said currently, the CCTH had only one nurse who could communicate effectively in the sign language.

He added that the absence of the nurse posed a great challenge to delivering services to clients with speech challenges.

“Even when she is off duty, she has to be called to work because she is the only person who can effectively sign,” he stated.

He said the course was to get many more paramedics to be able to communicate with clients and ensure that the right services were given them.

Mr Nyankah said communication remained an important tool in effective health care adding that the course was a step towards achieving satisfactory health service delivery for all.

A beneficiary of the course, Dr Jennifer Kwawukume, said it was important that the caregiver and clients communicated without barriers to ensure improved delivery of services.

She said the training was commendable and would ensure that healthcare providers freely communicated with all.

The Director of Programmes at Supreme Sign, Mr Isaac Ofori applauded the hospital for the initiative and said the participants were picking the sign language very fast.