TONGUE TIES: File picture of AIIMS students during an event held on the Bhubaneswar campus

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 23: Medical lingo apart, a large number of outstation students at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here are trying to master the local tongue to communicate better with patients.

“Kauthi daraj hauchi? Kebethu jara achhi? (Where does it pain? Since when do you have fever?)” asks Anjali S. and looks at her instructor anxiously, wondering if she got it correct. In the current admission batch of 100 MBBS students at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, there are 88 non-Odias, who have been attending special “Learing Odia” classes.

“The MBBS students have their clinical hours during which they are required to interact with the patients and understand their ailments. However, many of them face problems as they do not know the local language and the majority of patients speak only Odia,” said senior faculty member Pranati Nanda, who is co-ordinating the special Odia classes.

Last year, of the total 50 students, 38 were from outside the state. “It is important that they understand what the patients are saying in order to diagnose them properly. Apart from this, our students are required to go to nearby villages and interact with the local people there. This makes it imperative for them to learn the language,” she said.

Authorities of the institute have roped in an Odia teacher for imparting basic language skills to the students. Students are taught common words used in day-to-day communication, especially those related to medical examination. “Projectors and power points are used to make the classes more interesting and interactive,” said Nanda.

The students, too, appeared enthusiastic about going the extra mile to bond with the patients and are very excited about their newfound language skills. “We are taught what common words such as injury, cotton wool or pain are said in Odia. We are gradually picking up Odia sentences too,” said Rakavi R., a student of the current admission batch.

Initially, the authorities had thought of organising a four-day workshop for the students to learn the ropes of Odia language. However, following the students’ demands, they are conducting such classes every Saturday.

In another development, the first batch of students, who took admission last year but did not undergo such special sessions, have demanded Odia classes. “In fact, we are planning to extend the classes to BSc nursing students as a majority of them are from outside the state,” said a senior officer of the institute.