Sapporo has added video interpreting on patients’ own devices and machine translation to its Medical Communication Hotline from October 2026, according to the city. The service supports appointments, enquiries and consultations at hospitals within Sapporo in up to 32 languages; availability can vary by language.
The service itself is free, but phone and data charges apply. Appointment and enquiry assistance is available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while interpreting during medical visits is available around the clock. Patients apply online and receive a link valid for one week. The service excludes purposes such as cosmetic treatments and health checkups.
札幌の医療通訳窓口、患者の端末で映像通訳が利用可能に
札幌市は2026年10月から、メディカルコミュニケーションホットラインに患者自身の端末を使う映像通訳と機械翻訳を追加しました。市内の病院での予約・問い合わせ・受診を最大32言語で支援し、言語によって対応状況が異なります。サービスは無料ですが、通話・通信料はかかります。予約などの支援は平日9時～17時、受診時の通訳は24時間利用できます。オンライン申込み後に届くURLは1週間有効で、美容や健康診断などは対象外です。