KUMASI -
The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) has observed that the inability of doctors and nurses to understand and interpret sign language was leading to wrong prescriptions of medicines to Deaf persons.The GNAD said the phenomenon was leading to many expectant mothers among Deaf persons losing their lives while others were disheartened and disappointed, given the unfair treatment meted out to Deaf persons visiting health centres across the country.
Mr James M. Sambian, Executive Director of the GNAD, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday to explain the challenges death persons encounter when accessing healthcare.
He said lack of sign language interpreters was resulting in inappropriate diagnosis because of communication barrier among Deaf patients and the hearing medical officers and the nurses.
Mr Sambian explained that the situation had resulted in the incidence of incorrect prescriptions consequently leading to preventable deaths.
The Executive Director noted that due to lack of understanding and interpretation of sign language, a medical officer in one of the health centres in the Ashanti Region sometime ago, prescribed wrong medicine to a pregnant Deaf woman which consequently killed her.
To break the communication barrier and getting an intermediary, many Deaf persons in most cases had to bear the entire cost of engaging a private sign language interpreter in order to access quality health. ...READ MORE: http://vibeghana.com/2013/03/18/wrong-medications-kill-pregnant-deaf-persons-gnad-director
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