Cutting funding from local medical interpreter program will hurt refugees and cost health system more money: Lindo

Advocates say the province is about to make a big mistake by pulling funding for a program offering medical interpreters for doctors treating local refugees.

The medical-interpreter program was launched three years ago by the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre and uses professional interpreters with medical knowledge to help translate things like a patient's medical history instead of relying on family members.

The multicultural centre says the program has been successful in helping to avoid potential mistakes, unnecessary testing, and readmission while also helping save the healthcare system the added financial burden of not getting things right the first time.

Now, however, the centre says the province has sent word it intends to pull its funding for the program.

“The program was so successful that it became a program that was taken up in various regions across the province,” said Laura Mae Lindo, NDP MPP for Kitchener-Centre. “What we're now hearing is that because not every region has this program, and the Ford government has decided that they're going to cut it in the name of equality.”

Lindo says that is the exact opposite of what the provincial government should be doing.

“We tried to explain to the government that you've got to provide health equity, it has to be everybody that needs this program has access to it,” she said. “And rather than seeing the benefit of it and funding more of them to make sure that the entire province has access to this amazing program, they've decided to pinch pennies.”

The decision comes as the Region of Waterloo continues to welcome new refugees from Afghanistan with more on the way — many of whom come to Canada in need of medical attention.

Advocates say volunteers will likely try to step up and fill the void if this program is forced to end, but knowing the language without having the medical knowledge to pair with it will only do so much good.

“I speak French,” said Lindo. “I have very good conversational French.”

“If you throw me into a medical situation, I don't have the specificity of the language in order to provide that support.”

She says that also fuels questions about if volunteer interpreters are up to the added stress of dealing with mental health supports for refugees who have past traumatic experiences.

“So for the [progressive] conservative government to shun the program or make-up an excuse to pinch pennies and cancel a program that we know is so important right when we know that we're expecting more newcomers to arrive is troubling and mind-blowing,” Lindo said.

Lindo says it's ridiculous to take away something that's working in the name of equality instead of trying to ensure every region that wants it has access to it.

“Deciding not to fund this particular program has brought the Ford government to an all-time low in my opinion,” Lindo said. “Primarily because this will end up being something that's so costly.”

“And so this notion of not investing up-front but just waiting until things are horrible and then pretending that you can then find the money just doesn't seem to sit well with people across the region.”