Medical Interpretation Center *5144 (Translation Services for Patients)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   In brief

   If you don't speak Hebrew well enough to communicate with your doctor or healthcare provider, you have the right to a free interpreter — by phone, live, during the appointment.

2. 2

   Languages available

   Live spoken interpretation is available in:

   • Russian
   • Arabic
   • French
   • Amharic
   • Tigrinya (08:00–15:00 only)
3. 3

   Who can use this service

   The service is provided through:

   • Public hospitals
   • Health bureaus (Lishkat Bri'ut)
   • HMOs and medical centres that have an agreement with the Ministry of Health to provide this service

   The service is free of charge to patients.

4. 4

   How to access the service during an appointment

   There's no application or registration on your side. When you arrive at the appointment:

   1. Tell the medical staff what language you need.
   2. The healthcare professional calls the interpretation centre at *5144 from the appointment room.
   3. The interpreter joins the call and translates what is said between you and the provider in real time.

   This works for routine visits, consultations, intake at hospitals, and most other spoken interactions where the healthcare professional doesn't speak your language.

5. 5

   Hours of availability

   Regular days:

   • Sunday–Thursday: 08:00–19:00
   • Friday and holiday eves: 08:00–13:00

   Holidays:

   • Hol HaMo'ed of Pesach and Sukkot: 08:00–19:00
   • Yom HaZikaron evening: 08:00–19:00
   • Yom HaZikaron day: 08:00–14:00
   • Yom HaAtzma'ut (Independence Day): closed
   • Shavuot evening and day: closed