sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
``Medical care is collapsing'' Corona infection does not stop in Okinawa Naha city practitioner complains
July 6, 2023 6:30
Okinawa is facing a major epidemic for the first time in Japan after the transition of the new coronavirus to category 5. Now that Okinawa Prefecture has no longer coordinated hospitalizations, local clinics, which are on the front lines of dealing with the rapidly increasing number of people with fevers, are being hit hard. "Even after visiting seven or eight hospitals, we are still unable to find a place for our patients. Adjustments are continuing to the point that we are losing lives. Rather than a medical crisis, we are in a state of collapse." (Chie Shinohara, Digital Editorial Department)
Akebono Clinic (Director Osamu Tamai) in Naha City decided to limit the number of fever patients to 10 per day and called for reservations in advance. Immediately after the hospital opened, the number of calls was flooded, and the slots were quickly filled. Since then, the phone has continued to ring, seemingly asking for medical attention, but "I don't have time to respond," according to a clerk. The ringtone keeps ringing.
However, even if the quota is decided, the actual number of patients to be examined is about 30 per day. Two-thirds of them are feverish people who show up without an appointment. At fever outpatient clinics, patients wait in long lines and sometimes have to go outside to pay their bills because there are no vacancies.
"The people who jump in are people in their 80s and 90s who live in areas with a fever close to 40 degrees, and are people who can't be turned away even if the slots are filled," said Dr. Tamai. About 70% of those with fevers are positive.
The clinic is a small clinic with Director Tamai, one nurse, and four clerks. While there are also home visits and checkups at local facilities, the number of patients who have a rapidly increasing fever is almost exhausting, but from category 5 onwards, ``searching for hospitalization for patients'' has also been added.
When I explained my condition to the hospital by fax or phone, they refused because the beds were full. From June onwards, a series of adjustments may be repeated at seven or eight hospitals, and the referral letter will be rewritten several times. Dr. Tamai, the doctor, does most of the hours-long work himself.
Rapid increase in children's infectious diseases, tight pediatric medical care in Okinawa 80% of full-bed PICUs are under 1 year old Overlap of corona and RS...
A pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) filled with seriously ill children.
www.okinawatimes.co.jp
Before the transition to Category 5, the prefectural emergency headquarters, which centrally grasps the situation at the hospital and the severity of the patient, undertook hospitalization coordination, allowing on-site doctors to concentrate on medical care. But now, while going through the examinations one after another, I fumble around looking for a hospital with little information. What's more, whether or not a patient is found depends on personal connections and luck.
The number of oral drugs that can be used for mild cases has increased, and the hospital will also prescribe "Zokova" for relatively young patients and "Lagebrio" for elderly patients at high risk. Among them, Zokova is actively recommended for non-vaccinated people who are more likely to have aftereffects.
Even so, infection often triggers aggravation of underlying conditions, especially in elderly patients, and many require hospital treatment. Patients are urged to stay home during the several hours it takes to find a hospital to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections, but this puts a heavy burden on patients. The care that can be received at the prefecture's "new corona infected person care station" is limited.
Director Tamai suggests that the prefecture should coordinate overall hospitalizations for a certain period of time in an epidemic like this, where hospital beds are becoming tighter. Underlying this is the unforgettable experience of coming into contact with many lives that could not be saved in spite of being right in front of one's eyes due to repeated major epidemics in the prefecture. The next day, when I called the patient to inform him of the positive result, his family came out and told me that he had passed away this morning. At one point, she felt terrified of calling patients.
"Whether or not it is classified as a category 5 under the Infectious Diseases Act, the new coronavirus has not changed. In order to move society and the economy, we should issue an epidemic warning in a form that is easy for anyone to understand, just like the flu. I want each of us, not just the medical field, to think about what we can do now to prevent the recurrence of experiences where lives that could have been saved could not be saved."
https://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/1182047
July 6, 2023 6:30
Okinawa is facing a major epidemic for the first time in Japan after the transition of the new coronavirus to category 5. Now that Okinawa Prefecture has no longer coordinated hospitalizations, local clinics, which are on the front lines of dealing with the rapidly increasing number of people with fevers, are being hit hard. "Even after visiting seven or eight hospitals, we are still unable to find a place for our patients. Adjustments are continuing to the point that we are losing lives. Rather than a medical crisis, we are in a state of collapse." (Chie Shinohara, Digital Editorial Department)
Akebono Clinic (Director Osamu Tamai) in Naha City decided to limit the number of fever patients to 10 per day and called for reservations in advance. Immediately after the hospital opened, the number of calls was flooded, and the slots were quickly filled. Since then, the phone has continued to ring, seemingly asking for medical attention, but "I don't have time to respond," according to a clerk. The ringtone keeps ringing.
However, even if the quota is decided, the actual number of patients to be examined is about 30 per day. Two-thirds of them are feverish people who show up without an appointment. At fever outpatient clinics, patients wait in long lines and sometimes have to go outside to pay their bills because there are no vacancies.
"The people who jump in are people in their 80s and 90s who live in areas with a fever close to 40 degrees, and are people who can't be turned away even if the slots are filled," said Dr. Tamai. About 70% of those with fevers are positive.
The clinic is a small clinic with Director Tamai, one nurse, and four clerks. While there are also home visits and checkups at local facilities, the number of patients who have a rapidly increasing fever is almost exhausting, but from category 5 onwards, ``searching for hospitalization for patients'' has also been added.
When I explained my condition to the hospital by fax or phone, they refused because the beds were full. From June onwards, a series of adjustments may be repeated at seven or eight hospitals, and the referral letter will be rewritten several times. Dr. Tamai, the doctor, does most of the hours-long work himself.
Rapid increase in children's infectious diseases, tight pediatric medical care in Okinawa 80% of full-bed PICUs are under 1 year old Overlap of corona and RS...
A pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) filled with seriously ill children.
www.okinawatimes.co.jp
Before the transition to Category 5, the prefectural emergency headquarters, which centrally grasps the situation at the hospital and the severity of the patient, undertook hospitalization coordination, allowing on-site doctors to concentrate on medical care. But now, while going through the examinations one after another, I fumble around looking for a hospital with little information. What's more, whether or not a patient is found depends on personal connections and luck.
The number of oral drugs that can be used for mild cases has increased, and the hospital will also prescribe "Zokova" for relatively young patients and "Lagebrio" for elderly patients at high risk. Among them, Zokova is actively recommended for non-vaccinated people who are more likely to have aftereffects.
Even so, infection often triggers aggravation of underlying conditions, especially in elderly patients, and many require hospital treatment. Patients are urged to stay home during the several hours it takes to find a hospital to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections, but this puts a heavy burden on patients. The care that can be received at the prefecture's "new corona infected person care station" is limited.
Director Tamai suggests that the prefecture should coordinate overall hospitalizations for a certain period of time in an epidemic like this, where hospital beds are becoming tighter. Underlying this is the unforgettable experience of coming into contact with many lives that could not be saved in spite of being right in front of one's eyes due to repeated major epidemics in the prefecture. The next day, when I called the patient to inform him of the positive result, his family came out and told me that he had passed away this morning. At one point, she felt terrified of calling patients.
"Whether or not it is classified as a category 5 under the Infectious Diseases Act, the new coronavirus has not changed. In order to move society and the economy, we should issue an epidemic warning in a form that is easy for anyone to understand, just like the flu. I want each of us, not just the medical field, to think about what we can do now to prevent the recurrence of experiences where lives that could have been saved could not be saved."
https://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/1182047