October 31, 2025

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on October 30 held talks in Tokyo with Japan Hospital Association (JHA) President Aizawa Takao. The two exchanged views on the need for urgent financial support from the government to deal with the worsening business conditions of hospitals.

Along with Koike, JCP lawmakers Tamura Takaaki (House of Representatives) and Shirakawa Yoko (House of Councillors) attended the talks.

Aizawa emphasized the importance of hospitals’ mission to protect the health of residents. As a major factor behind hospitals’ deficit operations, the JHA president explained that the medical service remuneration system is ill-suited to the current situation. As an example, he cited that although hospitals need to take coronavirus countermeasures, no state remuneration is paid for the equipment needed for anti-corona treatments such as hospital gowns and goggles; that the revised amount of the state remuneration failed to keep pace with a rise in the consumption tax rate; and that the amount of the state remuneration paid to basic medical services provided to inpatients has remained unchanged for 19 years.

Aizawa said that due to poor financial health, hospital operators, despite their willingness, cannot offer higher wages to their workers, and appealed for the need to push the government to provide financial support that will at least enable hospitals to pay higher winter bonuses to workers. He introduced the association’s policy calling for a 10% increase in the amount of the state remuneration for basic hospitalization services as well as for the improvement of government financial assistance for hospital renovations.

Koike pointed out that how to help hospitals overcome their management crises will be one of the major issues needed to be discussed in the current extraordinary Diet session. He said, “Hospitals are vital to maintain the local healthcare system. The JCP will urge the government to respond to hospitals’ urgent financial needs and review drastically the remuneration system.” He added, “The JCP will work hard in the Diet to achieve government measures that will prevent hospitals from being financially overwhelmed without having to impose heavier burdens on patients.”