Korea: Medical translation available for migrants

Beginning today, migrant workers will be able to receive the results of their health checkups in their native languages, the Labor Ministry said yesterday.

A foreign worker, who wants to get a detailed explanation on his or her medical examination, will also be able to talk to the medical staff with the help of a translator over the phone or through the internet, officials said.

The translation and interpretation service will be provided in 10 languages, including English, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Indonesian and Russian.

Under the law on industrial safety and health, migrant workers have received regular medical checkups, but complained of difficulty understanding the results written only in Korean.

More information at: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/07/27/200907270020.asp