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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Health Report. |
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Japan and Germany have the world's oldest populations, |
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but neither country has enough trained health care workers |
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to meet the needs of older adults. |
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So, they are turning to Vietnam for help. |
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This month, 100 young Vietnamese are going to Germany |
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as part of a project to train what are called |
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geriatric nurses to work in the European country. |
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The trainees recently completed a six-month language |
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and culture class in Hanoi, |
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they will spend the next two years |
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in an occupational training program. |
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If the trainees pass the final exam, |
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they will be able to work in Germany |
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as geriatric nurses for another 3 years. |
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Germany is facing a crisis as low birth rates |
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combine with a growing population of citizens |
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who are living longer. |
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About 20 percent of the population is over the age of 65, |
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and that percentage is expected to continue rising. |
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This is a problem Japan also faces. |
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Later this year, 150 Vietnamese candidates will go to Japan |
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for two years of training at the country's hospitals, |
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after that they are expected to take the national nursing exam. |
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Japan already trains nurses from the Philippines and Indonesia, |
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but the health care system has been criticized |
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for being too restrictive. |
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All candidates must take the same exam, |
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but it is very difficult for foreign applicants |
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because few can speak the Japanese language. |
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Yoko Tsuruya is the first secretary |
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at the Japan's embassy in Hanoi. |
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She says foreign nationals |
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are given some help to complete the test, |
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like being given more time to answer questions. |
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To improve training, |
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the government plans to combine language classes |
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with real-life experience on the job. |
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Even with an aging population, |
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many Japanese are opposed to foreigners |
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working in some industries. |
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Critics say foreign labor could lead to higher unemployment, |
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but there is little opposition to foreign nurses. |
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In Vietnam, the situation is very different. |
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60 percent of the population was born |
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after the Vietnam war ended in 1985. |
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There is not enough jobs for everyone who wants one. |
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Most children are expected to care |
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for their aging parents when they get old. |
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Huong Thi Thi - the nurse trainee, thinks that in the future, |
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Vietnam will need more hospitals for its elderly, |
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but she adds, learning the skills overseas |
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can help the Vietnamese develop this area for themselves. |
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And that's the Health Report from VOA Learning English. |
