Licensing exams for paramedics can now be taken in English

change is relevant to exams for physiotherapists, clinical communications specialists (hearing and speech), occupational therapists, clinical dietitians.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
hospital 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
hospital 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
State licensing exams for people in the paramedical professions will now be offered in English, as well as the existing Hebrew and Arabic.
This was approved on Tuesday by the Knesset Labor, Social Affairs and Health Committee.
The change is relevant to exams for physiotherapists, clinical communications specialists (hearing and speech), occupational therapists and clinical dietitians.
Licensing exams for doctors have long been available in English, while those for nurses have been produced in English, Spanish and some other languages some years ago, after the Health Ministry was persuaded that it was necessary for new immigrants, but also have to have a satisfactory level of Hebrew-language competency.
Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman asked the chairman of the committee, MK Haim Katz, to approve the regulations for paramedical professionals to ease the process of licensing for new immigrants.
After the vote approving the regulations, representatives of the voluntary North American aliya organization Nefesh Be’Nefesh asked Katz to add more optional languages for state licensing exams. The chairman said he was willing to do so.