Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
A powerful appeal from the deaf community in Yobe State has cast a stark national spotlight on a critical, yet widely neglected, aspect of Nigeria healthcare system. the profound and dangerous lack of sign language interpreters in medical facilities, an issue that undermines the fundamental right to health for millions of citizens with hearing disabilities.
The concern was raised emphatically by Malam Kolo Abba, the Chairman of the Deaf Cluster in Damaturu, during a citizens stakeholders engagement forum on Thursday organized in preparation for the 2026 budget dialogue. Speaking through an interpreter, Abba laid bare the daily life threatening realities faced by deaf patients who are unable to communicate their symptoms or understand complex medical diagnoses and prescriptions from doctors.
While the dialogue was focused on Yobe State, the scenario described is a reflection of a systemic failure replicated across Nigeria 36 states. The absence of professional interpreters in hospitals, from primary healthcare centers to tertiary institutions, creates a dangerous communication barrier.
This forces deaf individuals to rely on ill equipped family members, or written notes for critical medical consultations, leading to a high risk of misdiagnosis, incorrect medication, and preventable health complications.
“This lack of interpreters is not just an inconvenience, it is a symbol of our wider neglect and exclusion from public services,” Abba stated. His testimony underscores a violation of both ethical medical practice and, increasingly, legal statutes.
The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 mandates equal access to healthcare and requires public institutions to provide special facilities for the disabled.
The Civil Socierty Organisation stressed the necessity of involving National Assembly members in such dialogues. Their participation is vital to ensuring that pressing local issues with federal implications such as amending the National Health Act to include provisions for disability access or securing targeted budgetary allocations, receive urgent attention they require at the highest level of government.
It demands that federal and state ministries of health, budget offices, and legislators prioritize the integration of certified sign language interpreters into public health facilities.
Analyst calls for a holistic review of social policies to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities to education, healthcare, and economic participation are not merely written into law but are actively implemented and funded, ensuring no Nigerian is left behind in the nation pursuit of progress.