How can the SF Health Department even THINK of cutting interpreters?

We will not let San Francisco General Hospital become an English-only institution!

In 2003, there were 55,421 requests for interpretation at SF General. 23,447 requests were for Spanish translation and 19,094 were for Cantonese, and requests were made for 35 other languages as well. It is not unusual to have delays of up to 2 hours, with costly teams of specialists waiting around for an interpreter. This shortage creates a situation that one interpreter described as "playing Russian roulette with people's lives."

How can we give care without our interpreters?

Background information on SF General Hospital interpreters.


"I went into the patient's room in the CCU to adjust the monitor. The patient was distressed and kept saying "peso ... peso ... peso ... peso." The nurses kept assuring the patient that he didn't have to pay money, but "peso" also means "weight." He was feeling pressure on his chest and was beginning to have a heart attack."

"The professional interpreters are a vital part of the medical team. Without them, we healthcare workers cannot get an accurate reporting of symptoms from patients and run the risk of misdiagnosing someone. We cannot accurately explain treatment options to patients and the patient cannot make the best decision for him or herself. We cannot get true informed consent for procedures and surgeries. We cannot explain to patients what symptoms to look out for so that they will return to report them in a timely manner before a condition exacerbates. We cannot teach patients or families how to do dressing changes, administer medications or their treatments at home (to teach a newly diagnosed diabetic how to do their own fingerstick glucose checks, draw up their insulin, and self-administer it can take hours and several teaching sessions to reinforce and verify comprehension). We also cannot help patients and families in the midst of an emergency to get through an intense, sometimes frightening time." An experienced RN at General Hospital

 

In the Fall of 1999, hundreds of patients were forced to stand in lines for many hours at the Main Pharmacy of San Francisco General Hospital.    Hospital administrators wanted to drive Medi-Cal patients away, and had closed an auxiliary pharmacy with the express purpose of  creating long lines in the Main Pharmacy.  Hundreds of angry patients and health workers flooded Health Commission meetings to prevent Administration from closing the Main Pharmacy also.