The number of Japanese medical institutions and other entities accepting Indonesians and Filipinos training to qualify as nurses or caregivers in fiscal 2010 will fall sharply compared with the current fiscal year.
Language problems apparently proved to be an insurmountable barrier for some.
According to the Japan International Corp. of Welfare Services, only 62 entities plan to accept 142 Indonesians from April 1, the start of fiscal 2010.
In fiscal 2009, 194 entities accepted 467 Indonesians.
As for Filipinos, 82 entities plan to accept 179 workers in fiscal 2010. That compares with 444 Filipinos at 175 entities in fiscal 2009.
Personnel at hospitals and other facilities say that training foreign nationals with a limited command of Japanese is difficult and takes up too much time.
The system to accept Indonesian and Filipino would-be nurses and caregivers was introduced in fiscal 2008, with a total of 850 trainees arriving.
