Translation into English only in the health network

West-Central Montreal’s CIUSSS is calling on a Toronto company that offers a virtual service of interpreters who translate allophone patients’ words into English only, we’ve learned. duty. French-language translators at the Quebec Public Health Network condemn this practice that deprives them of work.

“We’ve been told it’s because others have cheaper rates, but the interpreters on these platforms don’t provide the same quality of service. And it’s only in English!” said Anna, who keeps her identity secret for fear of losing contracts.

CIUSSS West-Central Montreal confirms that it is currently deploying the Voyce multilingual interpretation service in its CLSC centres, “in-house” family medicine groups and the regional reception and integration of asylum seekers programme, which it manages. A pilot project that has proven successful indicates its establishment.

“We chose Voyce because of the quality of service, quick accessibility and low cost,” says CIUSSS spokesman Carl Theriault, who specifies that his health institution is located in “one of the most multicultural regions in Canada.” Where 82 languages ​​are spoken.

Healthcare organizations that work with Voyce Canada receive a free tablet that allows them to connect with a specially trained healthcare interpreter in just seconds. At a cost of $1 per minute, the service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 240 languages.

In an interview in duty, Andrew Royce, the company’s president and CEO, points out that interpretation services offered in Quebec are currently only available in English, but pilot projects for French-language services are being implemented with other health institutions that are about to see the light.

“I am very happy that I will soon publish the interpretation into French,” said Mr. Royce, explaining that he lived in Quebec for several years to study at McGill University. He confirms that his company stands out for its interest in respecting patient confidentiality.

Angry translators

The use of Voyce is denounced by many interpreters who form part of the Interregional Bank of Interpreters (BII), managed by the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

Chiara, an interpreter who remains anonymous so as not to harm her career, says that CLSC de Parc-Extension contacted her to inform her that her scheduled interpretation assignment had been canceled a few weeks later. “A nurse booked me in, and she eventually told me she wouldn’t need me, and that she would start using Voyce eventually.”

Anna, for her part, believes she is losing contracts to Voice. “I’ve had a lot of meetings, with the CLSC de Parc-Extension, for example. But now she says it’s zero. We wonder how we’re going to pay the rent.” The situation shocks Anna even more because, in her opinion, English should not take precedence over French.

According to the head of the French Quebec movement, Maxime Laporte, simultaneous translation should always be from a foreign language into French, the only official language of Quebec. “If the translation is from a third language into English, I’m sorry, it goes against the basic principles of the French language charter,” the lawyer said.

Quebec is not aware

The Department of Health and Social Services says it is not aware that translation is only done into English through Voyce. He points out that ministerial guidelines on interpretation were sent to health institutions in 2018.

“In the face of the impossibility of having an interpreter on site and avoiding any interruption in service, the use of a remote interpreter constitutes an interesting option,” the document presenting these guidelines states. In addition to providing “greater availability,” this avenue in particular allows “quick access to interpreters fluent in uncommon languages,” as it is written.

The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal specifies that an emergency may require interpretation, a service that the BII does not provide. Its spokesman, Jean-Nicolas Opie, points out that nothing forces health institutions to use the approximately 325 BII interpreters.

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