INTERPRETERS AS SAVIOURS: THE IMPERATIVES OF INTERPRETING FROM FRENCH INTO ENGLISH AT THE SELECTED STATE HOSPITALS IN OYO TOWN

Abstract

The relevance of translation and interpretation is often limited to international conferences and engagements, literary translation, religious services and such like. Little attention is placed on the importance of interpretation at the hospitals where patients do not speak the language of the people of the community. This study centers on the indispensability of engaging French/English interpreters at state hospitals in Oyo town to enable French speakers in the town access adequate health care through interpretation. Two state hospitals in Oyo town: State Hospital, Oyo and State Hospital, Ilora, Oyo are chosen as case study. The objectives of the study are to: examine the difficulties doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists and pharmacists face in communicating with the francophone patients in the two areas; assess the danger that lack of effective communication can pose on the treatment of health issues of the francophone patients; highlight the required skills of potential interpreters of health services in French and English; discuss the roles of French/English interpreters at the hospitals in Oyo State with a particular focus on Oyo town. Using random sampling technique, ten francophone patients, five from each of the hospitals and six doctors, three from each of the hospitals; ten nurses, five from each of the hospitals; four medical laboratory scientists, two from each of the hospitals; four pharmacists, two from each of the hospitals will be interviewed. The Communicative Theory of translation by Peter Newmark will be adopted to analyze the craft of communication between the medical practitioners and the francophone patients. The study finds out that: communication problem is a major constraint in effective consultation with the medical practitioners by the patients; the use of signs and gesticulations by francophone patients to explain their health problems could pose danger on doctors’ prescription; establishment of French/English interpretation unit will facilitate access to health care services by the Francophone. The study concludes that interlingua communication is essential for effective health care delivery. It recommends that interpretation unit should be established in all the hospitals in Oyo state in view of its boundaries with Benin Republic which allow the influx of the Francophone neighbours from Benin Republic and Togo into the town.