Healthcare access in mother tongue is a patient’s fundamental right, the Amed Health Platform said on the eve of 21 February International Mother Language Day, calling for the removal of all barriers to accessing healthcare services in native languages and ensure equal rights for all in Turkey.
An 84-year-old Kurdish woman in Istanbul, Turkey, was unable to receive medical treatment in October last year, because the hospital lacked a Kurdish interpreter.
The platform, based in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeastern Diyarbakir (Amed) province, made a press statement in front of the Selahattin Eyyubi Hospital on Tuesday, with participation from various civil society organisations, including the Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER). Dr. Elif Turan, President of the Amed Medical Association (ATO) delivered the statement exclusively in Kurdish.
Turan reminded attendees that UNESCO recognises 21 February as International Mother Language Day to promote multilingualism and multiculturalism, highlighted that language reflects an individual’s emotions, identity and culture, and stressed the critical role of language in healthcare communication between patients and doctors.
“Healthcare in the mother tongue is a right. For equal healthcare rights, services must be provided in the patient’s native language.
“Unfortunately, in Turkey, like in many other areas, the right to access healthcare in one’s mother tongue is being undermined.
“Effective treatment requires patients to express themselves in their native language. The involvement of a third party acting as an interpreter can inhibit patients from expressing themselves due to privacy concerns, leading to further complications.
“To resolve these issues, healthcare services must be offered in the mother tongue without any obstacles or excuses,” Turan said.