A new addition to the Sun Country Health Region, in the form of translation and interpretative services, has been implemented.
The region has contracted CanTalk, a Canadian translation and interpretation company that promises to deliver assistance in any language within 60 seconds, said Janice Giroux, Sun Country’s vice-president of community health.
“It’s not as if we had a big demand for the service … yet,” said Giroux in an interview with the Estevan Mercury, but with a growing population of newcomers who are only comfortable in languages other than English, there was a concern that the region needed to be better prepared for the inevitabile, she suggested. “It began with the Ebola outbreak and what we needed to do and we began to question what we had and what we needed to have,” Giroux added.
Access to CanTalk’s 1,200 or more translation service providers is around the clock through a simple 1-800 number health professionals can access by using a PIN number to check in for use.
Giroux noted that the costs are reflected in health region’s budget, and that it will relieve a lot of pressure from both health officials and patients.
The service will be offered at all facilities served by Sun Country.
“People no longer need to worry about not being understood. If you come for any kind of health care need, including mental health services, we will find you a language connection,” said Giroux.
