“The phone rang. It was the hospital. We were summoned to do an urgent interpretation for a woman who was about to go into labor and who had been tested positive with covid-19. We didn’t hesitate for a second. Together with an interpreter we went to the hospital straight away and after taking all the necessary protective measures, we interpreted the instructions of the treating doctors and, most importantly, we reassured the woman, so that she could give birth. We were there the whole time. And we were overjoyed when we learned that everything had turned out well!
A handful of people give a daily “battle” in the small hospitals of the northeastern Aegean islands, with the sole purpose of keeping the population safe. It goes without saying that for us there is no dilemma; we will always be by their side, helping them in any possible way, even during the pandemic.”
A testimony by a local coordinator of an Eastern Aegean island, where METAdrasi has been providing interpretation services since 2013.
Despite the pandemic, METAdrasi’s Interpreters continue to be at the forefront, in the islands and the mainland, at the Asylum Service, at the healthcare providers and anyplace where their assistance is required. They take all precautionary measures and follow strict protocols to the letter, not only to ensure their own safety, but mainly to guarantee the safety of the populations they get in contact with.
They are the silent heroes who, during all these months, have been responding positively to the requests of the Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY) or any other relevant body and are always ready to interpret, even for our fellow humans who have been tested positive for Covid-19. They play a key role in overcoming any language barrier in communication, ensuring that even in this difficult time, the right to information and access to healthcare services remains an absolute priority.
▶️ Since March 2020, throughout the quarantine period and until the end of September, METAdrasi’s interpreters have carried out more than 130,000 interpretation sessions. In the third quarter of 2020, there has been recorded a significant increase in the number of interpretation sessions compared to the corresponding period in 2019.
The provision of interpretation is being implemented with the support of UNHCR, the Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).