Few things are more valuable to a person than their health. It’s among the most important factors linked to overall quality of life. And for Arabic speakers, language workers — both translators and interpreters — play a uniquely important role in preserving that precious asset.
Arabic speakers live all around the world, making language services vitally important for healthcare accessibility. When precise instructions can sometimes be a matter of life or death, it’s essential that instructions and informational material are presented as accurately as possible. What’s more, citizens of Arabic countries often seek medical care in foreign countries—the so-called medical tourism phenomenon. That requires interpreter services to not just clearly communicate medical information but also maintain cultural norms.
According to Intelligent Living, language workers play a key role in every facet of health care, both inside and outside Arabic countries. Arabic speakers in non-Arabic speaking countries or utilizing telemedicine need both translators and interpreters for proper medical understanding. Likewise, clinical trials can often include English-language information — another context where proper translation is critical. Foreign-made medical devices often ship in languages other than Arabic, requiring professional localization to ensure smooth operation in Arabic countries. And then there are the all-important prescription instructions, absolutely essential for the safe and effective use of drugs when correct dosages are key.
Patient health is one thing, but the transmission of medical knowledge is another critical role filled by language workers. Medical text translation can yield disastrous results if incompetently executed, underlining the importance of experienced and professional linguists.
The 2020 study Translation Strategies Used in Translating Medical Texts from English into Arabic, published in the American Journal Of Translation Studies outlines several techniques to improve translation quality.
“Translation of medical texts poses more of a challenge for translators who demonstrate weakness in achieving acceptable and appropriate translation,” the study states. “It is believed that this is relatively attributed to a number of reasons including failure in adopting appropriate translation strategies which would undoubtedly result in a low-quality end product.”
Translation isn’t the only linguistic discipline in high demand for Arabic patients. Interpretation is also key — particularly in hot spots for Middle Eastern medical tourism. Bangkok is one such city, and according to Medical Tourism magazine, interpreters are critical not just for accurate information delivery but also for a culturally sensitive experience.
“The need for female interpreters is even more pronounced, given that Arab women must comply with culture specifics like accompaniment by another female during a physical examination with a male doctor,” the article reads.
To that end, Bangkok hospitals like Bumrungrad International maintain a high demand for qualified Arabic interpreters ready to serve its estimated 125,000 Arab patients in town for treatment. And that’s just one hospital. According to Medical Tourism magazine, 2.5 million patients sought Thailand healthcare in 2012 alone, accounting for 10% of the country’s tourism.
“Today, our hospital eating area looks like you’re in Dubai,” Bumrungrad International Medical Director Dr. Peter Morley told The New York Times. “We make it a point to find staff that deals with diversity. A lot of our patients have Thai backgrounds, but so many come from the Gulf as well.