Language training for workers

BANDUNG: Head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Health Adnan Mahmoed said here on Monday that his office would provide a three-month language training program to equip local medical workers with necessary skills as required by foreign countries.

Adnan said the province could only send to Kuwait some 100 medical workers this year, or only 10 percent of the country's actual demand, mainly due to the local workers' poor language skills.

He added that many potential medical workers had registered with his office to work abroad because they could earn US$660 per month under a two-year contract. However, only a few of them passed the English test and Arabic test to work in Arab countries.

"They are poor in English, a skill which is required by foreign countries," he said, while citing that his office received requests from Arab countries and the Netherlands for medical workers. (25/lup)