Just over the weekend, a Malaysian doctor, Dr. Ikram has shared a video of him communicating with a patient’s parents who are deaf with sign language.
M’sian doctor praised for communicating in sign language with deaf parents
In his video, it was shown that a couple who suffers from hearing impairment has brought their child to his clinic, Klinik Ziad Azhari Sdn Bhd in Melor. With his knowledge of sign language, Dr. Ikram was able to effectively communicate with the parents, further understanding the child’s issue.
Source: Dr. Ikram (TikTok)
Wanting to bring more attention into sign language, Dr. Ikram realised that many people, including family members of a deaf patient is unwilling to learn sign language. Sharing his own story, Dr. Ikram mentioned that he never fully understood the significance of sign language until he was tasked to treat a patient that was deaf.
Prior to this, Dr. Ikram was based in Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab 2 (HRPZ 2), in Kelantan. As he was on duty, he came across a patient who was deaf. Noting down the patient’s condition, he tried to communicate with the patient, but due to intense pain that the patient was feeling, he was unable to write down his concerns to him.
Source: Dr. Ikram (TikTok)
“He tried communicating to me in sign language, but I couldn’t understand it”, said Dr. Ikram.
Start of something meaningful
While they were able to run basic tests, due to the communication barrier, they had no choice but to wait for the patient’s family member to arrive so he could interpret his sign language. After the incident, he mentioned that as a medical practitioner, he felt guilty for not being able to help his patient sooner.
Since then, Dr. Ikram started his sign language journey researching online before finding a physical class for Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM) under Persatuan Orang Pekak Kelantan (POPK). Joining the classes held every Friday morning at Bazaar Tok Guru, Dr. Ikram was able to learn sign language and started practicing it in his daily life.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
Following his dedication, Dr. Ikram was able to declare his clinic as ‘deaf people friendly’, further encouraging those with hearing impairments to seek treatment or consultation with him as he is able to communicate with them directly without an interpreter.
Empowering the deaf community in Kelantan
Sharing another personal experience, Dr. Ikram mentioned that a patient has contacted him regarding her medical condition. As the interpreter she encountered was less experienced, a misdiagnosis was given to the patient. Seeing that sign language plays a crucial role in a deaf person’s life, Dr. Ikram was further encouraged to empower the community by familiarizing himself with sign language.
Since then, he has been involved in the community by giving medical talks as well as signing up to become a sign language interpreter, especially when it comes to the medical field. Expressing his thoughts, Dr. Ikram hopes that through his actions, he is able to motivate and encourage people to learn sign language.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
“It is quite sad that some of us are having perception that deaf people are mentally challenged, in reality they are not. Some of them even have proper educational background and able to work like us”, he mentioned.
With his dedication and passion in wanting to empower the community, Dr. Ikram is now a well-known doctor in Kelantan amongst the community, where hearing impaired patients will consult him if they encounter any medical related issues.
Truly an inspiring story and we hope this serves as reminder for Malaysians to try and learn sign language.
Watch the video below:
@ikrammohdnoor91 Kisah minggu lepas, suami isteri deaf bawa anak (normal) berkhatan di klinik. . Dr Ikram Mohd Noor, Klinik Ziad Azhari. . #doktorbahasaisyarat #bahasaisyaratmalaysia #komunitideaf #klinikziadazhari
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