The College of Health Sciences in collaboration with The Department of Modern Languages, KNUST collaborated on this project to develop a Twi Medical glossary to remove the language barrier that impedes the dispensation of medical diagnoses.
Some patients go to the hospital not knowing how to express their ailments to the best understanding of Non-Twi speaking health practitioners, as well as others who are not well-versed in the Twi language. Some doctors resort to interpreters to enable them comprehend the complaints of their patients. Some patients also feel reluctant and uncomfortable disclosing their ailments in the presence of a third party.
The scope of this work was to come out with some capture of the words and expressions that patients use but which practitioners find difficult to comprehend.
Some health practitioners from different departments in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Kumasi were selected for the interview.
In some departments such as the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and at the Accident and Emergency Unit, groups of doctors were interviewed together. A gynaecologist from the Manhyia Polyclinic in Kumasi was also interviewed to augment that of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).