New video series to help migrants navigate health system

A new video series which provides health information in multiple languages has been launched by the HSE. The aim of ‘My Health My Language’ is to help migrants navigate the Irish health system more easily.

According to the 2016 Census, there are over 600,000 people in Ireland – that is 13% of the overall population - who are multilingual, speaking a language other than Irish or English at home.

The videos cover 17 different languages including Ukrainian, Romanian, Lithuanian, Somali and Arabic. Each offers clear information on topics such as:

-What is a GP?

-How do I access healthcare?

-Medical card

-Dental, eye and hearing services

-Contraception

-Pregnancy.

Healthcare systems vary significantly from country to country and research has shown that navigating an unfamiliar health service on arrival in a new country can be a stressful experience. In some cases, people may not be able to access the essential services that they need.

The videos are presented in a culturally appropriate manner using simple language. They are presented by native speakers who are also healthcare workers based in Ireland. The HSE said that people are often reassured when they see a member of their own community delivering factual, trustworthy health information.

According to Dr Margaret Fitzgerald, public health lead for social inclusion with the HSE National Social Inclusion Office, navigating the health service for people with limited English has now been made easier.

“We know from our work to reduce inequity in the health service that language and cultural differences can be barriers to people accessing the healthcare they need. These videos provide us with a powerful tool to speak to people living in Ireland in their native language and overcome some of these barriers. Very often, inclusivity benefits everyone,” she commented.

She pointed out that the closed captions in the relevant language on each of the videos assist not only people watching in their native language, but also people who are deaf or have hearing impairments.

“We were delighted to have worked closely with Translate Ireland, the Irish College of General Practitioners and colleagues in the HSE in the development of these videos. Thanks to all the wonderful clinicians who took time out of their busy schedules during the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Ukrainian crisis to participate in the videos,” Dr Fitzgerald added.

According to Graham Clifford, CEO of Translate Ireland, this service “is a world first”.

“While a handful of health systems worldwide provide a limited number of multilingual resources, none offer such a comprehensive resource bank created by medical health workers who have moved to that country.

“Ireland and the HSE are leading the way now in terms of migrant health communication and this is a win-win for both the patient and the health service with the potential to improve health outcomes, lead to greater efficiency in the health service and build even closer patient-practitioner relationships,” Mr Clifford said.

Dr Kateryna Kachurets is a Dublin-based GP who was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. She has worked as a doctor in Ireland since 2016 and was eager to help with this service.

“With the recent arrivals of Ukrainians to Ireland, it was important to record videos on Irish healthcare in my native language. These videos are a great resource for people from Ukraine whose healthcare system differs in many ways.

“As someone who has been practicing medicine here for the last six years, I can relate to the difficulties both doctors and patients are facing when there's a language barrier. I believe that health promotion and education in one's native language are paramount in facilitating better medical care as well as patient satisfaction,” she commented.

The videos were produced by the HSE’s National Social Inclusion Office with support from Translate Ireland, the Irish College of General Practitioners and the HSE’s mychild.ie, National Immunisation Office, Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme and other healthcare workers.

The videos can be viewed here.