Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital has produced 59 Ventos since 2015. Vento, a combination of the words volunteer and mentor, means volunteers who provide patients at Kangnam hospital with interpretation services. Vento program is a part of perinatal care services for multicultural family which are sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. In order to become a Vento, volunteers need communication skills in Korean and basic medical knowledge to deliver consultation services accurately.

At Kangnam hospital, volunteers have been trained by medical professionals of Obstetrics and Gynecology department with the aim of attaining the ability to communicate information to patients accurately. So far, 59 Ventos have provided around 600 immigrant women married to Koreans with interpretation services 634 times.

In fact, the hospital began to send Ventos to local Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics nearby since last August to help the immigrant women who have difficulties in communication. There were requests for help from nearby hospitals without medical interpreters. But in order to reduce healthcare’s blind spot, Kangnam hospital dispatched its Ventos to OB/GY clinics in local community first, where interpretation services are most needed. A total of 16 Ventos who speak Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian have been dispatched to five hospitals in the region and helped 866 immigrant women who got pregnant receive medical care properly.

“We dispatch our Ventos to other hospitals that need interpretation services so that married immigrant women could get proper medical service in Korea,” said Manager Gyeong-Ae Choi of Social Work Service at the hospital. “We will continue to make every effort to produce Ventos to help more foreign patients who have difficulties in visiting Korean hospitals,” she added.

By Chul Kwon, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (chris@hallym.or.kr)