Language barrier hinders many from expressing themselves other are forced to go out of their way to learn the language for ease communication.
This is not different for a Cuban doctor who was deployed to Siaya County has impressed netizens with her knowledge of Swahili and Dholuo languages.
Dr Yackline Castillo was among the first batch of 50 specialists who arrived in Kenya on June 6, 2018, following a deal between Kenya and Cuba.
The doctors were required to have knowledge of English to communicate with their patients.
However, some like Dr Castillo, who was posted to Siaya County Referral Hospital, have put an extra effort into learning local languages.
She has been reading dictionaries that translate English words to Dholuo and Swahili. This has enabled her to master these local languages in less than a year.
Dr Castillo knows various parts of the body and words which are used in day-to-day conversations. This way, she’s able to interact better with her patients.
When she does not understand what a patient is saying, she refers to the dictionary.
She was forced to learn the languages when nurses downed their tools in 2018. The strike left her without her translator.
The hospital is also short-staffed, this means that she can’t have a nurse on her side through her entire shift to translate words for her.
Locals are grateful for having her at the facility owing to the fact that she has gone an extra mile and learnt local languages.
Here is the video courtesy of Citizen TV