Saadiq Moolla, a sixth year medical student at the University of Cape Town and president of SHAWCO Health, has created a mobile website that provides free English/isiXhosa translations, via cellphone, for commonly used medical phrases.
According to UCT, Moolla thought of the website two years ago when he noticed the need for medical translations while volunteering at SHAWCO clinics.
"Language proficiency is part of our medical training. We learn Afrikaans and isiXhosa through the Department of African Languages in the School of Languages and Literatures, which teach us the basic skills needed to communicate with patients," Moolla told UCT, but he wasn't alone in struggling with isiXhosa.
"So I built the site as an aid for myself, a handy reference on my phone. It helps so much to be able to explain to a patient that you will be taking blood, for example, so that they understand what you're doing and why. It reduces anxiety and improves the quality of care."
After showing the site to one of his tutors, Moolla received help from UCT's African languages and literatures team to flesh it out - a task that is still ongoing.
Read the full story on UCT's website.
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