Medical Interpreting in Rwanda: Analysis of Challenges and Opportunities.

Abstract

Though Rwanda is working hard to open its doors to foreign investors in many areas including health, it greatly lacks professional medical interpreters. Hospitals in the country still rely on ad hoc interpreters improvised from either medical staff or patients' family members. Hinging on co-construction theories developed by Berk-Seligson (1990), Metzger (1999), and Wandensjö (1995), this study considers medical interpreters as co-constructors and facilitators between patients and their health care providers. By means of quantitative and qualitative methods, the researcher used structured and semi-structured interviews to collect data from health care providers (HCPs), interpreters, patients, and family members in Rwanda. The results indicate that whenever communication difficulties arise between HCPs and patients, hospital staff or family members are often requested to serve as interpreters. This has a number of drawbacks such as difficulties by patients in understanding their doctors' responses related to their illnesses. Conversely, some HCPs may end up misinterpreting their patients' feelings. To avoid cases of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment, the present paper recommends the use of professionally trained medical interpreters.