Interpreting services provided during consultations in the medical sector : identifying shortcomings

Abstract

The study focuses on the interpreting services provided during consultations in the medical setting. It looks broadly at the communication deficiencies created by the difference in the languages spoken by both medical practitioners and patients during consultations. Several times, the researcher’s personal experience has shown that isiZulu speaking patients are frequently consulted by English speaking doctors whenever they visit medical institutions. Consequently, as a result of this situation, these isiZulu speaking patients with limited English proficiency find it difficult to fully express all their medical conditions to the English speaking doctors and vice versa due to the existing language barriers. These language barriers are most likely to give rise to inferior medical assistance to isiZulu speaking patients. Furthermore, the nurses find themselves being ad hoc interpreters in this regard based on the assumption that they are bilingual. However, their linguistic and interpreting ability are not considered. The study therefore investigates the possible shortcomings and also looks at the implications most likely to occur as a result of reluctance to provide professional medical interpreting services. The data is collected from medical practitioners (doctors and nurses) and patients. From the results obtained, the researcher suggests possible recommendations in order to address the identified shortcomings. Lolu cwaningo lumayelana nokutolika ezikhungweni zezempilo. Lugxile ekubhekeni izinkinga zokuxhumna ngokolimi ngenxa yokwehluka kwezilimi ezikhulunywa abasebenzi bezempilo kanye neziguli uma zize ezikhungweni zezempilo. Umcwaningi usebone izikhawu eziningi ukuthi uma iziguli ezikhuluma ulimi lwesiZulu ziya ezikhungweni zezempilo zivame ukusizwa odokotela abakhuluma isiNgisi. Ngenxa yalesi simo , iziguli ezingasazi kahle isiNgisi ziyehluleka ukuchazela odokotela ngokuphelele izinkinga zazo zezempilo, kanjanlo nodokotela bayehluleka ukuxhumana kahle nazo. Lezi zinkinga zokuxhumana, zingaba nomthelela omubi wokuthi iziguli ezikhuluma isiZulu zingatholi usizo olugculisayo lwezempilo. Ngenxa yalesi simo, abahlengikazi bagcina bezithola sebengotolika ngenxa yokuthi kucatshangelwa ukuthi bayakwazi ukukhuluma izilimi zombili. Akube kusabhekwa ukuthi bazazi kangakanani izilimi lezo kanye nokuthi bayakwazi yini ukutolika. Ucwaningo lubheka izingqinamba ezikhona kanye nezingenzeka ngenxa yokungahlinzekwa ngokutolika okusezingeni elifanele ezikhungweni zezempilo futhi kungahlinzekwa abantu abaqeqeshiwe. Imininingwane yokwenza lolu cwaningo iqoqwe kubasebenzi bezempilo (odokotela kanye nabahlengikazi) kanye neziguli. Umcwaningi ube esenza izincomo ezingasiza ukuqeda izinkinga ezitholakele emuva kokuba esethole imiphumela.