Cultural fusion celebrated at Townsville University Hospital

The multilingual, cultural melting pot of Townsville University Hospital was celebrated on Friday as doctors, nurses, midwives, and medical scientists came together for a fusion of dance, music, artifacts, and cuisine.

For registered nurses Baraka James and Dieumerci (Allan) Mukandama, medical scientist Okechukwu (Maxwell) Nwankwo, and midwife Nicole Rono, the day was a chance to celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and cultural harmony.

Emergency department nurse Dieumerci (Allan) Mukandama, who speaks Swahili and French, said being triilingual was a big help working in emergency care in a multicultural community.

“Swahili is spoken in multiple countries in Africa, along with French in some parts, and when we get people into emergency from those places, I’m lucky enough to be able to help,” he said.

Nigerian born and raised Okechukwu (Maxwell) Nwankwo who speaks Igbo, a dialect from the country’s southeast, said multiculturalism was well understood at the hospital and staff loved to hear stories of the heritage and culture of others.

“My time in this hospital has been both educational and spiritual,” he said.

For birth suite midwife Nicole Rono, who was born in Kenya, her fluency in Swahili has been a lifeline for African women birthing at TUH with little to no English.

“My ability to communicate has been something wonderful, and my colleagues are very supportive of me in translating and advocating for our mothers from the Congo and other parts of Africa.”

Registered nurse Baraka James, who also speaks Swahili, said the diversity of the Townsville community was incredible.

“You don’t have to ask, you just have to observe, and celebrations like today show how multicultural and diverse we are as a hospital.

“Our values and culture bring a whole different layer to the care we provide and help our patients, who come from countries all over world, feel included.”

Multicultural Day organiser and director of medical oncology Dr Abhishek Joshi said many of the hospital staff were first generation migrants.

“We don’t have close family here, but in some of our cultures we believe the whole world is our family,” he said.

“And besides our family at home, the hospital is our only family and we wanted to celebrate our cultures with them,” he said.

Dr Joshi said many of the cultures on show today dated back centuries.

“There are treasures we can take from all cultures, but the most important are the treasures of love, kindness, and gratitude and today is a way to express all of that,” he said.

Health service chief executive Kieran Keyes said he was delighted with the success of the hospital’s first Multicultural Day.

“There was extraordinary talent on show today but more than anything there was an overwhelming sense of camaraderie and joy, and an appreciation that what makes us different also binds us.”