People from ethnocultural communities can access health and social services in a manner that respects their ethnocultural and linguistic reality.
Different measures are in place to ensure and improve the accessibility of services offered to these people.
Linguistic and ethnocultural interpretation services
In some regions, interpretation and translation services are available. These services allow people who are not fluent enough in the French or English language to understand and/or be understood by healthcare professionals. Interpreters improve and facilitate verbal and cultural communication between the professional and the user.
Several situations may require the presence of an interpreter. For example:
the medical history, evaluation and triage in an emergency department;
the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment plan and care plan;
conferences or information or education sessions;
psychosocial or mental health interventions;
obtaining free and informed consent;
understanding the use of medication, the dosage and possible side effects;
the use of restraints or confinement;
end-of-life situations and decisions associated with them.
Providing interpretation services is one way to respect the rights and obligations set out in the Act respecting health and social services and safely provide high-quality services.
The institutions are responsible for informing the user of the possibility of having free and confidential access to the services of a formal interpreter. The benefits of using these services must also be presented to the person.
The use of an informal interpreter on site or by any other technological means of communication allows the user’s preferences to be respected while facilitating access- and logistics-related issues. The type and conditions of interpretation services must be discussed before the user decides to use the services of an interpreter.
Services offered in other languages
A few institutions or facilities offer health and social services in French, but also in other languages:
Montreal Chinese Hospital (Chinese);
Santa Cabrini Hospital (Italian);
CHSLD Dante (Italian);
CHSLD Polonais Marie-Curie Sklodowska (Polish).
Services for refugees and asylum seekers
Refugees can have an assessment of their wellbeing and physical health upon arrival in Québec. The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration informs the health clinics mandated with refugee arrival to offer them these specific services.
The Regional Program for the Settlement and Integration of Asylum Seekers (PRAIDA) contributes to the wellbeing of asylum seekers and their families, with respect for their rights and dignity. PRAIDA’s intake service is the point of entry into the health and social services system for these people and those with a precarious immigration status.
PRAIDA is administered by the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. Its mission is to facilitate the settlement and integration of asylum seekers in Québec.