Liverpool Ladies

This photo was snapped on my phone during my working day and is a reminder of the cultural and linguistic diversity of the region where I work (Liverpool in South Weat Sydney). It was a sweltering day and I can't imagine how hot these ladies must have felt. The linguistic diversity was quite a challenge for me today. My first attempt was to see a Vietnamese lady who spoke no English and was in extreme pain. Four out of the six Vietnamese interpreters were off sick today which may have in part been due to the fact that it is Friday the 13th. Some Vietnamese people speak Cantonese as well but this lady didn't. Off I went to see a man from Uraguay: naturally he spoke Spanish. His English was not up to discussing his prostate cancer but I was able to look at his scrap book detailing the accomplishments of his grandchildren in the game of soccer. On to another ward to see a lady from East Timor who spoke hakka (a new one to me). It wasn't going well. Health service interpreters need to be booked and are not on site so it can be very difficult to assess patients in these circumstances. We often rely on relatives but this can become difficult when they don't want to translate what you are saying. Sometimes you utter a few words and they translation takes 10 minutes!! So, lots of interpreters booked for Monday.