Dialogue at the Hospital – English Standard Four

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, a pupil should be able to:

• Identify common words used at a hospital.
• Use polite expressions when talking to health workers.
• Ask and answer simple questions about illness.
• Participate in a simple conversation between a patient and a health worker.

2. Common Vocabulary

English	Kiswahili
Hospital	Hospitali
Doctor	Daktari
Nurse	Muuguzi
Patient	Mgonjwa
Medicine	Dawa
Treatment	Matibabu
Sickness	Ugonjwa
Pain	Maumivu
Headache	Maumivu ya kichwa
Stomachache	Maumivu ya tumbo
Fever	Homa
Cough	Kikohozi
Pharmacy	Duka la dawa
Injection	Sindano
Health	Afya
Appointment	Miadi
Waiting room	Chumba cha kusubiri
Medical card	Kadi ya hospitali
Prescription	Maelekezo ya dawa
Reception	Mapokezi

3. Common Expressions

English expression	Kiswahili meaning
Good morning, doctor.	Habari za asubuhi, daktari.
How can I help you?	Ninaweza kukusaidiaje?
I am not feeling well.	Sijisikii vizuri.
I have a headache.	Ninaumwa kichwa.
Where does it hurt?	Unaumwa sehemu gani?
I have a stomachache.	Ninaumwa tumbo.
How long have you been sick?	Umekuwa mgonjwa kwa muda gani?
Please sit down.	Tafadhali kaa chini.
Thank you, doctor.	Asante, daktari.

4. Sample Dialogue One: Visiting a Doctor

Patient: Good morning, doctor.

Doctor: Good morning. How can I help you?

Patient: I am not feeling well.

Doctor: What is the problem?

Patient: I have a headache and fever.

Doctor: How long have you been sick?

Patient: I have been sick for two days.

Doctor: Please sit down. I will examine you.

Patient: Thank you, doctor.

Questions

1. Who is the patient talking to?
2. How does the patient greet the doctor?
3. What problem does the patient have?
4. How long has the patient been sick?
5. What does the doctor ask the patient to do?

5. Sample Dialogue Two: At the Hospital Reception

Asha: Good morning.

Receptionist: Good morning. How can I help you?

Asha: I would like to see a doctor, please.

Receptionist: Do you have your medical card?

Asha: Yes, here it is.

Receptionist: Thank you. Please sit in the waiting room.

Asha: Thank you. When will I see the doctor?

Receptionist: The doctor will call you soon.

Questions

1. Where is Asha?
2. Who helps Asha at the reception?
3. Whom does Asha want to see?
4. What does the receptionist ask Asha to show?
5. Where does Asha wait?

6. Practice Activities

Activity A: Match the words with their meanings

Match each word in Column A with the correct meaning in Column B.

Column A	Column B
1. Doctor	A. A person who is ill
2. Patient	B. A place where sick people receive care
3. Nurse	C. A person trained to treat sick people
4. Hospital	D. A person who cares for patients

Activity B: Fill in the blanks

Use these words: doctor, hospital, medicine, nurse, headache.

2. A __________ helps the doctor to care for patients.
3. The doctor may give a patient __________.
4. A person with pain in the head has a __________.
5. A __________ examines and treats sick people.

Activity C: Complete the dialogue

Use these words: doctor, help, well, problem.

Doctor: Good morning. How can I __________ you?

Patient: I am not feeling __________.

Doctor: What is the __________?

Patient: I would like to see a __________.

7. Answer Guide

Dialogue One: 1. A doctor. 2. Good morning, doctor. 3. A headache and fever. 4. For two days. 5. To sit down.

Dialogue Two: 1. At the hospital reception. 2. The receptionist. 3. A doctor. 4. Her medical card. 5. In the waiting room.

Activity A: 1–C, 2–A, 3–D, 4–B.

Activity B: 1. hospital, 2. nurse, 3. medicine, 4. headache, 5. doctor.

Activity C: help, well, problem, doctor.

8. Speaking Practice

Work in pairs. One pupil acts as a patient and the other acts as a health worker. Practise conversations using these situations:

• A patient with a headache.
• A patient with a stomachache.
• A patient with a cough.
• A person asking for help at the hospital reception.

9. Support for Slow Learners

• Use pictures to teach hospital vocabulary.
• Pronounce each new word slowly and let pupils repeat it.
• Practise short expressions before reading the full dialogues.
• Pair slow learners with supportive classmates.
• Give pupils more time to practise speaking.

10. Learning Outcome

A pupil should be able to use common hospital vocabulary and polite expressions to participate in simple conversations at a hospital.