West-Central Montreal’s CIUSSS is turning to a Toronto company that offers a virtual interpreting service that translates allophone patients’ words exclusively into English, we’ve learned The duty. Interpreters who work in French in Quebec’s public health network denounce this practice, which takes their jobs away.

“We were told it was because other platforms had cheaper rates, but the interpreters on those platforms did not provide the same quality of service. And it’s only in English! » said Anna, who is keeping her identity secret for fear of losing her contract.

The CIUSSS West-Central Montreal confirms that it currently uses the Voyce multilingual interpreting service in its CLSCs, its “intramural” family medicine groups and the regional reception and integration program for asylum seekers that it manages. A pilot project has proven to be successful, according to the facility.

“We chose Voyce because of the quality of service, quick accessibility and low costs,” says CIUSSS spokesman Carl Thériault, who notes that his healthcare facility is located in “one of the most multicultural regions in Canada.” where 82 languages ​​are spoken.

Healthcare facilities that do business with Voyce Canada receive a free tablet that allows them to connect with a specially trained healthcare interpreter in just seconds. Priced at one dollar per minute, the service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is available in more than 240 languages.

In the interview at Duty, Andrew Royce, president and CEO of the company, points out that the interpretation services offered in Quebec are currently only in English, but that pilot projects for services in French are being carried out with other health facilities that will soon see the light of day.

“I’m very excited to be able to provide French interpreters soon,” said Mr. Royce, noting that he lived in Quebec for several years to study at McGill University. He emphasizes that his company is characterized by its attention to patient confidentiality.

Outraged interpreters

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

Chiara, an interpreter who remains anonymous to avoid damaging her career, says that the CLSC de Parc-Extension called her to inform her that her interpreting assignment, scheduled for a few weeks later, was canceled. “A nurse had signed me in and finally she told me that she didn’t need me and that they would start using Voyce at some point. »

Anna, for her part, believes she is losing business to Voyce. “I had many meetings, for example with the CLSC de Parc-Extension. But now it’s zero, she said. We’re wondering how we’re going to pay the rent. » The situation shocks Anna all the more because, in her opinion, English should not take precedence over French.

According to Maxime Laporte, president of the French Quebec Movement, interpretation should always be from a foreign language into French, the only official language in Quebec. “If the interpretation is made from a third language into English, I regret that this violates the fundamental principles of the Charter of the French Language,” the lawyer said.

Quebec is not aware of this

The Department of Health and Human Services says it is not aware that the English-only translation is done through Voyce. It shows that ministerial guidance on interpretation to healthcare facilities was communicated in 2018.

The document presenting these guidelines states: “Given the impossibility of having an interpreter on site and in order to avoid disruption to the service, the use of a remote interpreter represents an interesting option.” This route not only offers “greater availability”, but also in particular “quick access to interpreters who speak unusual languages”, it is said.

The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal specifies that an emergency situation may require immediate interpretation, a service not offered by the BII. Its spokesman, Jean-Nicolas Aubé, points out that nothing obliges health establishments to use around 325 BII interpreters.

To watch in the video