TOKYO — Foreigners seeking medical treatment in Japan are facing language barriers at hospitals as not many medical institutions have interpreters even though the nation is opening up its doors wider to foreign workers starting in April.
The government is trying to improve the situation by supporting the deployment of medical interpreters and other programs, but those on the frontline of medical care say more needs to be done as foreign patients have difficulty understanding complex terminology on illnesses and treatments.
According to a Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare survey of major emergency hospitals in 2016, about 80 percent said they accepted foreign patients while only 12.7 percent replied that they used medical interpreters. In a Saitama Prefecture poll of foreigners in fiscal 2015 about inconveniences they experience at Japanese medical institutions, around 70 percent cited the language barrier.
The central government intends to send more medical interpreters to regional hospitals as more foreign workers are expected to live in Japan following the planned change in the immigration system in April, but observers say working conditions should be improved to attract more interpreters. According to professor Yasuhide Nakamura of Konan Women’s University, salaries for medical interpreters are low in some cases although they are required to have higher language skills and ethical standards.
“The demand for interpreters is increasing as more foreign tourists are coming to Japan, and securing medical interpreters will be difficult,” said professor Nakamura. “We have to guarantee the quality of medical interpreters by introducing a certification program, and improve their treatment corresponding to their responsibilities.”
(Japanese original by Akira Okubo, City News Department)
Source: (Mainichi Japan)
