40 nurses at GPHC now fluent in French and Spanish

Dec 28, 2019 News

Due to the collaboration between the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Guyana Language Institute, 40 nurses attached to the city hospital are now certified Spanish and French Speakers.

Keith Alonzo, Director of Nursing

This is according to Keith Alonzo, Director of Nursing at the city hospital.
The language programme lasted for six months and after the programme, the trainees were presented with a certificate.
In a recent interview with this publication, Alonzo stated that nurses working in different departments at the city hospital were selected last July, to embark on the language programme with the aim of lessening the language barrier with the foreigners using the medical facility.
According to Alonzo, the language programme was deemed a necessity because medical staff at the city hospital has been encountering difficulties when attempting to solicit the necessary particulars of patients to facilitate treatment, and to also gather vital information that can assist them with the proper and correct diagnosis due to the language barrier.
“The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is mandated to deliver free and fair services to everyone, whether you are a citizen of Guyana or not. However, hundreds of foreigners that speak different languages are now accessing health care at the city hospital.”
“Four nurses that have been trained to speak the different languages will be place in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department attached to the hospital. The A&E is the most used department at the city hospital.
“Everyday foreigners use the medical facility and as medical personnel, we have to be prepared for that. The four nurses that will be placed in the department will assist with translation, so that everyone accessing the medical facility will be correctly diagnosed,” he continued.
However, with nurses now trained to speak different languages information will be better translate at the medical facility.
As indicated by top officials at the hospital, as of recent, the institute has seen a great influx of Haitians, Brazilians, Cubans and Venezuelans nationals seeking medical services.
Alonzo further stated that after receiving their certificates, the nurses are expected to teach other nurses working in their respective department the new languages.
As of recent, the Board of Directors at the city hospital introduced several new programmes into the hospital curriculum with the aim of offering professional health care services to those using the medical facility.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News