Letters | Hong Kong’s hospitals should not let language barriers deprive ethnic minorities of the health care they need
- Posters on interpretation services, telephone hotlines and more non-Chinese employees are all options hospitals can explore
Members of the ethnic minority community have said that their diagnoses, medical procedures or treatments are not always clearly explained to them. Relatives, children and strangers are often called upon to interpret for ethnic minority patients in the absence of qualified interpreters, and many are unaware of the interpretation services available at hospitals and outpatient clinics. When dealing with the serious issue of a patient’s health, the consequences of miscommunication could be catastrophic. There are also other concerns around culturally sensitive food practices and gender issues.
The Equal Opportunities Commission has been communicating with the Hospital Authority to stress the need for better health care service support for ethnic minority patients. While access to health care is a government responsibility, it is also up to medical practitioners to make timely use of the available interpretation services and communicate clearly the services provided.
For example, posters in major ethnic minority languages can be displayed at prominent locations, such as next to the registration counters, to tell these patients of their rights to request interpretation services. Having a designated office, such as the Patient Resource Centre, at an easily accessible and identifiable location in every hospital can also help standardise and simplify the booking procedure for interpreters. The use of telephone interpretation in A&E (accident and emergency) and inpatient treatment, a quicker option, should be encouraged.