[천안다문화] Guiding People to Better Health

Chungnam Regional Cancer Center Helps Foreign Residents with Cancer Prevention

The Chungnam Regional Cancer Center is launching a "Cancer Care Navigator Program for Overseas Migrants" to assist immigrants from overseas with cancer prevention and access to medical services.

On August 6, the center held its first operational meeting for the program at the Hybrid Room on the 5th floor of the Dankook University Hospital Cancer Center, Cheonan, where they shared operational strategies and activity plans.

Representatives from the Cancer Center and 14 cancer care navigators attended the meeting to review the overall operations of cancer prevention and management support for overseas migrants, including activity hours, results, and activity expenses. They also discussed measures to facilitate easier access to medical services for foreigners, such as implementing a medical interpretation reservation system and managing information boards.

Kim Jae-il, President of Dankook University Hospital, said, "I hope the navigators will serve as a bridge connecting overseas migrants with medical institutions and play a role in local cancer prevention and health promotion."

A key feature of this initiative is enabling migrants to access cancer prevention information in their native languages and connect to necessary medical services. Medical interpretation support is provided in eight languages: Russian, Mongolian, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Japanese, English, French, and Chinese. "Cancer care navigators" assist foreign nationals who face difficulties accessing medical facilities due to language and cultural barriers by guiding them through cancer prevention guidelines and medical procedures, as well as providing counseling and interpretation services.

The Chungnam Regional Cancer Center also plans to conduct cancer prevention education and counseling for users of the Chungnam Foreign Worker Support Center. The educational sessions will include an introduction to the navigators, a group quiz on the "10 Cancer Prevention Guidelines," satisfaction surveys, and country-specific counseling, with navigators providing on-site support.

This initiative is significant in that it goes beyond simple interpretation to provide cancer prevention education and for prevention campaigns, counseling, and guidance on utilizing medical facilities. It is expected to serve as a community health safety net, empowering foreigners - who might otherwise be marginalized from medical services due to language and information barriers - to take an active role in managing their own health.

Officials at the Chungnam Regional Cancer Center plan to establish a sustainable support system to ensure that immigrants from overseas can easily access essential cancer prevention information and medical services, overcoming language barriers in the process.
Solange BAIJOT, Honorary Correspondent (Belgium)