Deaf man sent to mental hospital after not getting sign language interpreter says he was fired as a result
Liu, 32, says he lost job at car repair workshop as he was unable work for six days while in hospital
A deaf man who was sent to a mental health hospital by doctors without calling in a sign language interpreter said on Friday morning that he had lost his job as a result.
Speaking through an interpreter on an RTHK programme, the man, surnamed Liu, said he was fired by a car repair workshop as he was unable to show up for work for six days. He has stayed home since.
Liu was moved to Castle Peak Hospital after signing a consent form agreeing to the transfer. He said he did not know what the document meant as he was not good at understanding long sentences.
The incident unfolded on November 30 when police received a call from a 61-year-old woman complaining she had been beaten by her 32-year-old son. She said he was deaf and suffered from emotional and mental illnesses.
Officers sent the man, accompanied by his wife, to Tuen Mun Hospital for a health inspection.
Public hospitals have guidelines stating that medics should arrange sign language translation for patients who are mute or deaf if they cannot communicate, and there is a list of telephone numbers for NGOs that provide such services.