Doctors relying on Google Translate to communicate with migrant patients is causing misunderstandings over vital medical instructions, a Christchurch health liaison worker says.

Partnership Health ethnic liaison Wayne Reid told The Press the organisation had heard reports of patients taking the wrong amount of medication because they had not understood their doctor’s instructions.

Free interpretation and translation services were available to Canterbury doctors and patients but some were relying on online services like Google Translate to convert medication instructions from English into other languages, Reid said. More.

See: Stuff.co.nz