By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
HOSPITAL waiting rooms are changing the lives of pregnant refugee women in Dandenong.
Turning maternity waiting rooms at the Dandenong Hospital into a learning space where non-English speaking mums to be can learn English from trained professionals has left co-ordinator Siobhan Robinson smiling from ear to ear.
“I’ve watched the women come in hesitant at first and leave feeling confident, some even coming back when they don’t have appointments just to learn and practise their conversation skills,” Ms Robinson said.
After the success of the Family English Language Program at the Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, founder Maggie Lynch was ecstatic to see the program open in Dandenong.
“These women often fall through the cracks and if they don’t learn English early enough once they give birth life gets busy and stressful and refining their language skills doesn’t happen, which can lead to isolation,” Ms Lynch said.
The language program also provides cultural awareness classes for nurses and doctors, which Ms Lynch said is very important.
“Doctors often say things like ‘hop off the bed’ and explain things back to front, so we teach them how to phrase things so non-English speaking patients can better understand them.
“Once a Cambodian women wasn’t eating because she had no money and didn’t understand the hospital food was free.
“It’s simple things like that and hospital terminology can be hard to understand, so we teach them some words to help them through their pregnancy,” Ms Lynch said.
Assisting pregnant women while they wait has been a daily practice in Clayton for 26 years and the one day a week program started in Dandenong in April.
Cambodian soon-to-be mother of two Srey So has been attending the Dandenong English classes for more than two months and said the classes are improving her life in many ways.
“I come even when I don’t have an appointment, it’s so exciting learning and when you learn more you have more questions to ask and here I get one-on-one tutoring.
“Communication is everything and it means I can read street signs and get around better, easier to go shopping, order food and read menus, make friends and understand people on the phone,” Ms So said.
Organising home tutors for the women once they give birth is Ms Lynch and Ms Robinson’s number one aim.
“We are very passionate about integrating them into the community and this program is a vital pathway and I have seen the success over 26 years and know it works,” Ms Lynch said.
