OLYMPICS-LANGUAGE PROBLEM TROUBLES LOCAL DOCTORS NAGANO, FEB 6 (REUTERS) - JAPANESE DOCTORS ARE STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH VISITING OLYMPIC ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS WHO SPEAK NO ENGLISH OR JAPANESE.
MOST MEDICAL STAFF HAD LITTLE PROBLEM IN HANDLING ENGLISH-SPEAKING PATIENTS BUT NOT ATHLETES WHO SPOKE ONLY EUROPEAN, ASIAN OR AFRICAN LANGUAGES, A NAOC MEDICAL OFFICIAL SAID ON FRIDAY.
"WE ARE IN A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION. THERE ARE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS BETWEEN US," THE OFFICIAL SAID.
HE SAID THE LANGUAGE BARRIER HAMPERED EFFORTS TO DIAGNOSE ILLNESSES.
"THE CONCEPTS OF DISEASES OR ILLNESSES VARY FROM ONE CULTURE TO ANOTHER OR FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER FOR THAT MATTER," HE SAID.
"THEREFORE, WE WORRY ABOUT A MISUNDERSTANDING THAT COULD LEAD TO A WRONG DIAGNOSIS,` HE ADDED.
`SO FAR WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN NO MAJOR ILLNESSES OR INJURIES AMONG THE ATHLETES FOR US TO DEAL WITH.`
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