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Solons urge gov't agencies to deploy sign language interpreters in hospitals for PWD patients
By ERWIN COLCOL,GMA NewsLawmakers on Tuesday urged concerned government agencies to deploy sign language interpreters in state hospitals in order to help deaf persons and other persons with disability (PWDs) to access needed medical services.
During the virtual meeting of the House Special Committee on Persons with Disability, Chairwoman Maria Lourdes Arroyo stressed the importance of having sign language interpreters in hospitals.
"Let's say I'm deaf. When I go to a government hospital, how can I ask them for help? I can't hear, I can't speak. What can you do for us?" she asked.
Miramel Laxa, who represents the Department of Social Welfare and Development, told the committee they are currently capacitating their staff in their central and field offices to learn sign language so that they could effectively communicate with persons with disability.
"Ang isa nga sa mga nagiging challenge din on our part is 'yung mga persons with disabilities who are victim-survivors of abuse. Kapag nasa court na, medyo talagang nahihirapan tayo," she said.
"Although siyempre we have our CSO (civil society organization), NGO (non-government organization) partners na nata-tap din natin to provide sign language interpreters during court hearings, pero isa rin itong malaking challenge din on our part," she added.
Arroyo asked the DSWD to put sign language interpreters in government hospitals, which Laxa said the department will take note of.
For her part, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro also asked the DSWD for updates on the implementing rules and regulations of the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) Law.
The FSL Law, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed in November 2018, declares FSL the national sign language of the Filipino Deaf
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Laxa said the IRR for the said law is currently for review.
"Nandu'n na siya sa Office of the Secretary but we will provide you with the latest update kung ano na ang nangyari sa IRR," she added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) also said they are working with their partners to roll out the training for sign language for their personnel so PWDs can be well attended to in hospitals as they avail of medical services.
"We have started it in the NCR [National Capital Region] and Calabarzon, and we have tried rolling this out in the midst of COVID through our e-learning strategies," said Director Napoleon Arevalo of the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.
"Probably in the near future, there will be designated sign language officers in health facilities to facilitate the provision of health services to our PWDs," she added.
Castro said without sign language interpreters in hospitals, there is nothing to measure the level of accessibility of health services for PWDs.
She then asked DOH if there are at least information materials readily available for PWDs in hospitals.
"In our coordination with our Health Promotion and Communications Service, we have released social media cards for our persons with disabilities and the production of communication materials for our PWDs are in the pipeline," Arevalo told Castro.
Arevalo said they will provide the committee with the timeline on how long it will take for these materials to become available in hospitals.
Under the FSL Law, government hospitals and health facilities are mandated to take steps to ensure the Filipino deaf will have access to health services, including FSL interpreters and accessible materials upon request of deaf patients, or individuals who have family members who are deaf. —KG, GMA News