Medical Interpreter & Translator, Health Tourism (Chinese/ Indonesian/ Korean)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION :

The Medical Interpreter / Translator is responsible for facilitating accurate and effective communication between healthcare providers and patients who have limited proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia or English. This role supports clinical communication, enhances patient safety, ensures informed consent, and improves overall patient experience—particularly for international and non-native speaking patients under the Health Tourism segment.

The position plays a critical role in supporting KPJ’s patient-centred care, quality standards, and health tourism growth strategy by bridging language and cultural gaps in clinical and non-clinical settings.

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Interpretation Services

Provide real-time verbal interpretation between patients and healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, allied health staff) during:

• Consultations and diagnosis discussions

• Treatment and procedure explanations

• Admission and discharge processes

• Emergency situations (as required)

• Ensure accurate, complete, and unbiased interpretation of medical information.

 Translation Services

• Translate written medical and administrative documents, including:

  • Consent forms

  • Medical reports

  • Discharge summaries

  • Patient education materials

  • Ensure translations maintain medical accuracy and confidentiality.

 Patient Support & Experience

• Assist international patients in navigating hospital services and processes.

• Support patient engagement by clarifying medical instructions and care plans.

• Act as a cultural liaison to ensure sensitivity to patients’ cultural backgrounds.

 Clinical Communication & Safety

• Support clear communication to reduce risks related to misinterpretation, in line with patient safety and quality standards highlighted in the memo.

• Facilitate understanding for informed consent and treatment compliance.

 Coordination & Operational Support

• Work closely with Health Tourism, Front Office, Nursing, and Clinical teams to coordinate interpretation needs.

• Maintain schedule and availability based on patient demand and language requirements.

• Support hospitals based on identified language needs (e.g., Mandarin, Arabic, Khmer, Japanese, Korean, etc.)

 Documentation & Compliance

• Maintain records of interpretation sessions where required.

• Adhere to hospital policies on confidentiality, patient privacy, and data protection.

• Ensure compliance with KPJ standards, accreditation requirements, and clinical governance.

 Continuous Improvement

• Provide feedback on language service gaps and patient needs.

• Support initiatives to enhance health tourism services and multilingual capabilities.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

Diploma or bachelor’s degree in: Languages / Linguistics / Translation

Healthcare-related field (added advantage)

Knowledge and Experiences:

• Minimum 1–3 years of experience in interpretation/translation (healthcare setting preferred).

• Familiarity with medical terminology is highly preferred.

• Experience working in hospitals, healthcare, or customer-facing environments is an advantage.

Skills & Competencies:

• Proficiency in at least one foreign language (e.g., Mandarin, Arabic, Khmer, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, etc.) in addition to English and/or Bahasa Malaysia.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• High accuracy and attention to detail.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, clinical environment.

• Interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.

Special skills required

• Medical interpretation skills (consecutive/simultaneous preferred).

• Understanding of confidentiality and ethical standards in healthcare.

• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.

Personal attributes

• Patient-centric and service-oriented mindset

• Professional integrity and confidentiality

• Calm under pressure, especially in clinical situations

• Adaptable and responsive to operational needs

• Strong sense of responsibility and accountability