Exploring dialectal variations on quality health communication and healthcare delivery in the Sissala District of Ghana

ABSTRACT

This article explores the effects of dialectal variations on quality health communication and healthcare delivery using ethnomethodology. The study revealed that healthcare providers and patients in the Sissala District of Ghana experienced significant difficulties in communicating health needs: misinterpretations and miscommunication characterised the interactions between patients and providers due to dialectal variations and cultural differences. This culminated into reliance on untrained interpreters to enhance communication. The paper recommended that Ghana Health Services should consider issues of linguistic abilities and cultural sensitivity when posting staff to areas that are characterised by multiple languages and dialectal variations.

Makala hii inachunguza athari za tofauti za dialeta juu ya mawasiliano bora ya afya na utoaji wa huduma za afya kwa kutumia muundo wa ethnomethodology. Utafiti huo umebaini kwamba watoa huduma za afya na wagonjwa katika Wilaya ya Sissala ya Ghana walipata shida kubwa katika kuwasiliana na mahitaji ya afya: kutokuelezea na kutatanisha machafuko yalionyesha uingiliano kati ya wagonjwa na watoa huduma kwa sababu ya tofauti ya dialeta na tofauti za kitamaduni. Hii ilifikia kutegemea wakalimani wasiojifunza ili kuongeza mawasiliano. Karatasi ilipendekeza kuwa Huduma za Afya za Ghana (GHS) zinapaswa kuzingatia masuala ya uwezo wa lugha na uelewa wa kitamaduni wakati wa kuwasilisha wafanyakazi kwa maeneo ambayo yanajulikana kwa lugha nyingi na tofauti za dialeta.

KEYWORDS:

• Dialectal variations
• intercultural and health communication
• language socialisation
• healthcare delivery
• interaction
• cultural diversity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Muhammed Abdulai is currently a PhD Candidate at the School of Governance, Law and Society, Tallinn University, Estonia, and a lecturer at University for Development Studies, Department of Communication, Innovation and Technology, Nyankpala Campus, Ghana. He has publications in international journal of intercultural relations, Elsevier, Human Arenas, Springer Nature, Journal of Intercultural Communication, Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences among others.

Abdul-Razak Kuyini Alhassan is an Associated Professor at University of Southeast Norway, Norway, Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Science, Department of Educational Science. He has publications in recognised international journals.

Kanda Mandela Sanus holds a B.Sc. in Social change communication from University for Development Studies, Ghana. He is currently a teaching assistant at University for Development Studies, Ghana, Department of Communication, Innovation and Technology, Nyankpala campus.

Notes

1 Sissala – Sissala is a tribe in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

2 Wale – Wale is a local Ghanaian language spoken in the Upper West Region, Ghana.

3 Twi – Twi is a Ghanaian Language spoken by Akans in the southern part of Ghana.