Make provisions for sign language interpreters in hospitals – Minister

The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Freda Prempeh, has tasked a technical committee reviewing Ghana’s Disability Law to make provisions that mandates all health facilities to have sign language interpreters.

She said Deaf persons usually have a hard time communicating with medical staff when they go to seek medical treatment because of the language barrier, which sometimes results in preventable death.

Ms Prempeh made the suggestion when she joined the members of the technical committee at one of their meetings, where they were reviewing the amendments made to the Law.

She also reminded the committee to ensure that they put in place laws which were implementable to avoid having a law which will not be implemented.

A Technical Committee was set up by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with the support of the National Council on Persons with Disabilities to review the Disability Law as it is, to make it compliant with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Source: GNA