"Medicine is a benevolent art." ? Japanese proverb
Medicine is a benevolent art to practice. It would be a huge mistake
to allow medical treatment to turn into nothing more than an economic
matter and further wrap Japan into American principles of
competition. We should not look lightly on the steps taken by former
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to destroy Japan's system of medical
treatment.
Japan's system of medical treatment is quickly deteriorating. As I
travel around the country lecturing, the comments I hear from people
after my talks have been focusing at an alarming rate on the collapse
of this treatment. When I have a chance to talk directly with people,
I've been hearing a lot of direct appeals from hospital staff and
doctors. Their message: Regional medical services are falling apart.
Recently I have heard similar arguments from an administrator of a
local hospital.
END
There is a serious shortage of doctors. The hospitals try all sorts
of things, but can't raise the extra money needed to pay these
doctors. "Because we have to pay so much to retain the doctors,
hospital administrators are working for no pay," this person told me.
Even so, if the doctors are available, these hospitals manage somehow
to stay open. But as soon as they leave, operations just grind to a
halt. Inevitably, they are pulled toward the question of whether they
should close the hospital.
Even hospitals affiliated with the medical schools of universities
have trouble finding enough doctors. Hospitals that used to dispatch
doctors to medical offices are finding they can no longer do that.
Medical treatment in the outlying regions of Japan is disappearing,
these medical professionals tell me.
The obstetrics departments of local clinics have been hit
particularly hard; they're closing in rapid succession because of a
serious shortage of obstetricians.
And there is more sadness for the nation to bear: The very entity
that should be protecting our medical system ? the Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare ? is leading the charge to destroy
medical treatment in the outlying areas.
If we allow the government to continue to dismantle our medical care
system, our level of treatment will end up falling to that of an
underdeveloped country.
It's up to the Japanese people to stave off this destruction. The
hospital staff around the country should start movements in their
respective regions. Before we are consumed by the American way, we
ought to put an end to this through the ballot box.
The former Koizumi administration is behind this miserable
destruction of medical treatment in Japan. The ruling coalition of
the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito Party have provided
the support. We must ask them to take responsibility for their actions.
