Approximately 41 psychiatric nurses in four regions of the country have received basic sign language training to assist in providing quality mental healthcare to the deaf and hard of hearing.
The training was facilitated by the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) in Accra as part of its efforts to help psychiatric nurses break language barriers affecting efficient health care delivery services to clients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Mr Matthew Kubachua, President of the GNAD, spoke at the closing session about how difficult it was for the deaf to seek psychiatric care because they often found it difficult to understand and interact with psychiatric nurses during consultations.
He stated that communication problems during consultations could easily lead to incorrect diagnosis and medication administration.
“As a result, most deaf people do not want to go to the hospital to seek healthcare when they are sick, and I believe that this training will help bridge the gap between deaf people and healthcare practitioners,” he said.
He said while the training duration was insufficient, continuous interaction with the deaf community would help them improve their language skills, adding that “what we taught you is difficult, but your constant interaction with the deaf will make it easier for you.”
Mr Etornam Gblende, Greater Accra Regional Mental Health Coordinator, indicated that participants would be assessed individually and followed up to ensure they were practicing what they had been taught for the past three months.
He said participants were expected to transfer their newly acquired knowledge to their colleagues for continuity, adding that “we expect that your approach to the deaf will change.”
Ms Dorothy Owusu-Ansah, a psychiatric nurse at the LEKMA hospital, indicated that she had no knowledge of sign language and that she used to communicate with her clients using community signings.
But, according to her, she was taught that those signings were not always correct and that she needed to be trained in Ghanaian sign language.
“I can now communicate boldly and ask a patient what his or her problem is, and help them get the appropriate healthcare they require,” she said.
She asked GNAD to extend the training period so that they could cover more topics and deepen their sign language knowledge, saying that “people with disabilities deserve the best healthcare just like any other person.”
The nurses were chosen from the Northern, Upper West, Central, and Greater Accra regions to participate in a three-month intensive sign language training programme that covered both theory and practice.
Over the years, GNAD has been working to garner public support for legal recognition of Ghanaian Sign Language as an official language of the Deaf and employment opportunities for the country’s Deaf community.
Thus, the training is part of a larger project called Empowered Deaf People for Improved Mental Health, which is led by GNAD and funded by the UK government through UKaid.
The Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme is a four-year disability programme in Ghana that is funded by the UK government through UKaid.