October 16, 2025

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira (House of Councillors) held talks with Chairman of the All Japan Conference of Deans and Directors of Medical Schools (AJMC) Sagara Hironori on October 15 in Tokyo. They exchanged views on necessary measures to support university hospitals facing severe financial difficulties stemming from rising prices and the consumption tax burden.

Doctor-turned JCP lawmaker Koike noted that university hospitals play an important role in advanced medical care as well as in medical education and research, and that they support Japan’s local healthcare system. Nevertheless, he said, these hospitals are in a critical financial crisis, which will seriously affect Japan’s medical service and research.

Sagara referred to an AJMC survey conducted in 2024 regarding the financial health of 81 national, public, and private university hospitals.

The survey found that in 2024, the 81 hospitals surveyed suffered a total deficit of 50.8 billion yen. Major factors for this were an increase in prices for medical materials and equipment as well as the burden of the consumption tax.

Sagara demanded that the amount of the state remuneration paid to healthcare services be raised in order to enable university hospitals to maintain their role as advanced treatment hospitals which provide medical care that is difficult for general medical institutions to deal with.

Koike in response said, “Along with urgent financial support through a supplementary budget, the JCP will urge the government to revise the amount of state remuneration payment and implement measures focusing on advanced treatment hospitals.”

Together with Koike, JCP member of the House of Representative Tamura Takaaki and JCP members of the House of Councillors Kira Yoshiko and Shirakawa Yoko were also present at the talks.