Try to imagine one day without any sounds!

Try one day to handle your activities without saying one word.

              First of all, you have to know  that you might encounter  serious side effects! You might get disoriented, misunderstood, irritated, disappointed, you might not even succeed solving your daily problems. Second, put an extra illness to it, add  more worries, poor access to quality information, mix them all and afterwards go like that to the doctor. How does it feel ?

            And this is how was born the idea of  a project which aims to teach medical students, young doctors and medical personnel  how to improve their  communication with deaf patients. The transnational project “Breaking the silence” was  initiated by Romanian  in cooperation with Greek medical students, but its’ roots date back in   2003 in Bialystok  in one of IFMSA’s - Poland Local Committees.

            Worldwide, 250 million people suffer from  hearing impairment and 2/3 of these people live in developing countries, only  five percents (5%) can read and write and there is enormous variation among  them in speaking  or reading  lips. In consequence, the interaction between a doctor and a deaf patient is difficult. In addition, we had been in contact with many doctors and we identified their inability to communicate with deaf patients in absence of a translator in emergency, and not only.

            Considering all above, we conclude that the goal of providing  "Breaking the Silence" Project to the medical community is perfectly adapted to the needs of medical students and future doctors. It’s aim is being followed by: organizing Sign Language courses and Workshops for the benefit of students, young doctors and medical personnel in each of the countries participating in the project and for IFMSA. And, due to the fact that for the sign language courses the number of the participants is limited, we are now conceiving a web page with sign language courses online. We are starting by posting words in Romanian and Greek sign language, but any NMO can join and enrich its content.

The local programs consists of 20 to 60 hours of practical exercise and short lectures - both for medical students. Lessons take place in groups of 15 – 25 people. Teachers, who instruct students are recommended by the national or local authority of the deaf community.  With the aid of  their experience, during the courses students not only learn signs – lectures give them an opportunity to better understand the problems of deaf peoples’ life stile. Moreover, participants  interact with deaf children at various events: medical presentations for  children, celebrating  enjoying parties together and others.

We are really glad by the fact that Breaking the silence is running as transnational, because we made sign language known to our colleagues. Also, we helped them understand the importance of communicating with  patients and broaden their perception of  handicapped people: those who feel aside the society and not those with a disability. The results that are coming out from the evaluation of the project are very encouraging.

For all that, dissolve the noise and give signs a chance at www.bts.helmsic.gr!

(this article was published in IFMSA's projects bulletin 9)