Sea rescue operations are often complicated by language barriers. Sea-Eye's medical team utilizes Care to Translate during rescue missions to facilitate effective communication with rescued individuals.
Sea-Eye is a civil sea rescue organization operating in the Mediterranean Sea, dedicated to rescuing refugee boats mainly coming from Libya. Their mission involves responding to distress calls and providing aid to individuals stranded at sea, often encountering diverse nationalities and linguistic backgrounds among those in need of assistance.
The organization operates in challenging environments where effective communication and timely medical interventions are essential for ensuring the safety and well-being of rescued individuals.
Sea rescue operations are often complicated by language barriers, hindering effective communication with rescued individuals and accurate medical assessments. The lack of mutual understanding due to linguistic diversity poses significant challenges, particularly in high-stress and time-sensitive situations where swift and accurate communication is crucial.
Moreover, when dealing with sensitive and confidential information, such as instances where a patient has experienced torture or abuse, using a human translator may not be the most appropriate solution, as this could create power dynamics.
“I see a bit of a problem in our field because we're dealing of course with confidential information and also this gives a lot of power to the translating person” said Dr Thomas Herr, Team Lead of the medical team at Sea-Eye, in this regard.
Sea-Eye's medical team utilizes the Care to Translate app during rescue missions to overcome language barriers and facilitate effective communication with rescued individuals. The app's offline functionality allows medical staff to access translations without relying on internet connectivity, which is often unreliable at sea. Standardized playlists within the app streamline medical check-ups by providing commonly used questions and phrases.
“During medical check-ups, most of the time we ask the same questions, so we created a playlist for that which was really fast and helpful”
This tailored approach ensures efficient communication and enables the team to address medical needs promptly and accurately, regardless of language barriers encountered during their operations.
The adoption of Care to Translate has enhanced communication and medical safety during Sea-Eye's rescue missions. By leveraging the app's features, Sea-Eye's medical team can effectively communicate with patients from diverse backgrounds. The use of personalized playlists has optimized medical check-ups and treatment processes. Sea-Eye’s medical team has noted the app’s pivotal role in ensuring equal treatment for all patients, irrespective of language barriers.
“I think it's probably the most advanced app for the medical fields, I haven’t found a better one”
The app's reliance on native-speaking medical professionals for translation verification ensures accuracy and instills confidence in medical interactions.
With Care to Translate's support, Sea-Eye continues to uphold its mission of providing timely and compassionate medical assistance to individuals in distress at sea.
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