Immigrants comprise 41 per cent of Toronto's population. More than 170 languages and dialects are spoken in the GTA and more than 400,000 people have limited English ability. And yet, until recently, many new Torontonians were unable to get language support in one of the areas they need it most—the doctor's office.
That's why the
Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), an organization funded by the Ontario government to support local health services, recently launched Language Services Toronto, a real-time phone interpretation service that offers translation into 170 language 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The telephone program is aimed at reducing the communication barrier between non-English speaking patients and the physicians, nurses and other professionals they rely on for medical care and advice.
While phone interpretation programs were offered at Toronto hospitals before the launch of Language Services Toronto, the program was patchy at best. Only a handful of GTA hospitals were signed up for phone interpretation, and the notoriously expensive service was purchased from third party sources.
In order to get around these barriers, Language Services Toronto offsets the price of phone interpretation and allows hospitals and community agencies to purchase the service in bulk, significantly reducing the cost (some hospitals will see their rates drop by as much as 80 per cent).
"Language Services Toronto allows patients to have a greater voice in their own healthcare and enhances their healthcare experience," stated CEO of Toronto Central LHIN, Camille Orridge in a press release. "By acting together, hospitals and community are able to provide many more people with the same high quality care, no matter who they are and which language they speak. Language no longer needs to be a barrier to great healthcare."
The program was rolled out this month and is already offered in 19 hospitals and 14 community agencies across the GTA.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Toronto Central LHIN