Language Education for Healthcare Staff
In Tajikistan, most medical education takes place in Russian and only recently has there been a move towards incorporating English-based medical education in medical school curricula. As a former Soviet country, most Tajiks speak Russian as a second language and not English. This includes many physicians and other healthcare providers.
In order to provide physicians and other healthcare professionals with the opportunity to more easily access the international medical literature, to communicate with colleagues from other countries, to participate in academic exchanges, and to attend international conferences, PASHA has designed and implemented English language courses for skin care and eye care providers. These classes take place at the hospital several evenings after working hours, making them easily accessible to providers who are interested in learning English. The number of participants per course is kept limited, in order to ensure that trainees can get the most out of the classes.