For anyone who has visited the Western Galilee Hospital, one of the more striking things is that the signs in the hospital are in several lagnuages and scripts. The hospital serves a diverse population, from different countries of origin and ethnic groups, who speak a number of different languages. It makes routine visits complicated, but in an emergency situation, the language barrier can be critical. To make the situation workable, the Health Ministry has opened an experimental, simultaneous, medical translation service that will link doctors, nurses, social workers and patients who speak Arabic, Russian and Amharic. You can read more about the program here.