Stop reducing hospital beds and take emergency measures to deal with H1N1 influenza spreading nationwide

Japan Press Weekly

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Stop reducing hospital beds and take emergency measures to deal with H1N1 influenza spreading nationwide

With the H1N1 influenza spreading nationwide, the urgent task now is to take emergency measures against the outbreak of the further cases.

The Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry on August 19 announced that 662 of group infections with the H1N1 strain of influenza were reported between August 10 and 16. The number of group infections kept increasing for three weeks.

Since July 20, when the ministry started a survey, the total number of group infections has reached 1,734. Three of them died.

Health Minister Masuzoe Yoichi on the same day said to reporters, "If the spread of group infections with the H1N1 flu continues, medical institutions will become overloaded. This may cause distress in the medical treatment of critically ill patients."

It is necessary for the government to take urgent measures against infectious diseases, including the H1N1 influenza.

However, the Liberal Democratic-Komei government has implemented the policy of forcing public hospitals to become as cost-effective as possible, and many public hospitals have been closed at the national and local levels on the pretext of being insolvent.

According to the Health Ministry, as of the end of March, the number of beds at 589 hospitals designated as medical institutions that give specified infectious diseases was 10,606, down from 13,967 in October 1, 2006. Many local governments have also reduced public health centers.

The government should immediately stop the harsh policy of closing public hospitals and enable them to provide necessary medical services.

- Akahata, August 20, 2009