The Japanese government plans to recruit a large number of Vietnamese nurses and caregivers for its hospitals under bilateral economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the two countries. The issue will be discussed by between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda during Dung’s upcoming visit to the sun-rising country. If approved, Vietnam will become the third nursing supplier for Japan from 2013, after Indonesia and the Philippines. The candidates are asked to have a good command of Japanese language, well trained in nursing profession, and have a profound understanding of psychology of the elderly and disabled. Earlier, Prof. Dr. Fujimoto Bunro, chairman of the Asian Elderly and Disabled People Care and Social Benefit Association, said the association would help several Vietnamese universities, colleges and medical high schools build nursing training programs in conformity to Japanese standards. The Japanese Health and Welfare Ministry estimated Japan, where has the world’s oldest population with 23% of its citizens aged above 65, will lack 200,000 nurses and 1.27 million caregivers by 2025. (Tuoi Tre – Youth Oct 21 p2, Nguoi Lao Dong – Labor Oct 2
