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Translation and Interpretation Services in a Crisis

Language Translation and Interpretation Services during crisis

Last updated on April 15th, 2020 at 05:22 pm

Translation of medical content in a crisis

Translation and Interpretation for Medical and Social needs

Language Services for current events

At this time, JR Language is having many interpretation engagements for events, conferences, and on-site simultaneous interpretation canceled because of the virus situation with COVID-19, also called coronavirus. At the same time, we are getting many requests for medical translation and interpretation services from different angles, especially government, healthcare, and education. The requests include the translation of content related to COVID-19 to communicate in different languages within universities, hospitals, housing developments, nursing homes, casinos, and businesses of all kinds. We are translating from English into Spanish, Russian, French, Traditional and Simplified Chinese and many more.
As a translation agency, we are a barometer of current events. What does that mean, and how does it manifest? Medical translation and telephone interpretation services are highly in demand due to the threat presented by COVID-19. HR guidance is needed to manage employees in a time of crisis, as well as content from governments for awareness and preparation. We mostly see important social content for
washing habits and social distance.

Medical Language Services

JR Language is currently translating scripts for medical training videos, manuals, public information releases, and more. Healthcare translation services can be used in every facet of medicine, in time like this:
* Laboratory records
* Test results and experiment findings
* Patient records
* Medical research papers
Medical interpretation is just as important. A hospital should be able to call another hospital on the other side of the world and be able to communicate with them clearly. A doctor should be able to communicate continued care instructions accurately to a patient and their family. Patients should always receive their medications with accurately translated dosage instructions. Medical terminology leaves no margin for error, which is why we only use trained and experienced professionals in medical content to translate and interpret all our medical projects.

Language Services for Governments

Governments national and local have a responsibility to their constituents to make safety information accessible. Multilingual information on proper medical care for the sick, safety measures for the public, and warnings against certain locations or practices must be provided for residents to prevent harm.
Language barriers spread disease. When the water contamination crisis hit Flint, Michigan, no safety information was distributed in Spanish, though Flint has many Spanish-speaking residents. Knowing only that the water was contaminated, Spanish speakers boiled their water to kill bacteria and viruses. This only served to make the water even more dangerous, as the contamination was not due to microorganisms, but heavy metals like lead and iron. A lack of medical translation cannot be allowed or situations like this will happen again and again.

Academic Translation and Interpretation

From preschools to universities, academic institutions play an important role in promoting the safety of their students, staff, and their families. Multilingual safety materials are posted and passed out, and school websites are updated with safety information in different languages.

HR Translation for Workplace Safety

To stay in legal compliance, businesses need to equip their Human Resources departments with the materials needed to keep their employees informed on safety in the workplace. These documents need to be translated to the employees’ language of proficiency, and training lectures and videos need to be interpreted by a professional, not a multilingual employee. Workplaces should place and distribute disease prevention and hygiene materials to fight illness in the workplace and should caution their employees to stay home if they feel poorly.

Language Services for Housing

Housing developments, like schools and businesses, need to place and distribute disease prevention and safety information in multiple languages to best serve their tenants. Housing association, landlord, and hotel websites also need to present multilingual information on local resources and guidelines for disease outbreaks. Cleaning crews need to be educated on any additional measures to take when disinfecting the premises.

Medical Language Services as a Human Right

Translation and language services are a vital human right, and medical language services are a life-saving effort that can prevent unnecessary loss and pain. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, mandates that certain documents be given to patients in their language of proficiency, provided that that language is spoken by “5% or 1,000 persons, whichever is less, of the population served.” Those documents include notices that language services are available, intake forms, discharge forms, complaint forms, and informed consent forms.
Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against anyone based on national origin. This applies to any organization that receives federal funding and also prohibits failing to provide anyone their medical documentation in their preferred language. Hospitals and governments need to protect people by making sure medical translation and interpretation is available to any language group. These services must be provided by professional translators and interpreters fluent in the source and target languages.

Moving Forward to a Safer Future

Our world is evolving rapidly, and the time we are living in is like no other, a time of instant communication, global commerce, and much travel for business and leisure. This degree of intercommunication has impacted the situation we have today with COVID-19. To address the situation, providing multilingual content for the Coronavirus outbreak is a must to reach people not proficient in English in the general public in the USA and around the world.
Our translation company is committed to helping the community during this global crisis. JR Language’s mission is to make communication between language groups possible and accurate. Multilingualism makes the population stronger by allowing us to share ideas, important content, warnings, and news so that everyone is equally informed. Contact us for translation of Coronavirus content, safety information, and telephone interpretation to address your needs during these challenging times.

Jackie Ruffolo
Jackie Ruffolo
Jackie was born in Venezuela and has a BS in computer engineering. As President of JR Language, she spends time researching new technology and productivity tools for the Company. She holds a certificate of Localization and Project Management- Localization. Through her many years of experience working in multilingual corporate environments, she understands firsthand the value of bridging language barriers in creating smooth communication that allows for productive and happy work environments. She is fluent in Spanish and English, and is a frequent contributor to both our English and Spanish blogs. 20 Years of experience in marketing Jackie loves nature and to be outdoors.