Language shock in the hospital environment

Communication is a science that is rarely taught in the training of general practitioners. These concepts take on their full meaning when the doctor and the patient do not share a common language, which can lead to misunderstandings that affect the quality of care and have an impact on patients' rights. In the interactions between Chinese doctors and Cameroonian patients, we noted misunderstandings during consultations. Data collection was carried out at the Chinese hospital in Koumassi, located in Rue des manguiers, Bali-Douala, Cameroon. After a descriptive cross-sectional study, our analyses show that a misunderstanding can have fatal consequences. It would therefore be wise to use French language specialists to help Chinese doctors on the one hand, and Cameroonian patients on the other, so that interviews can be conducted without misunderstandings.