Police widen probe into 46 hospital deaths after poisonings

Because they're hasukashii that it took so long for somebody to notice and do something about it

Maybe because they don't know for sure yet that they were murdered? They take a lot of critical care/end of life patients and already have a high death rate. One of the doctors said on TV that they thought the number more than normal, but not a huge leap. However, the possibility that others among the 46 were murdered as well was raised after they found 10 more IV bags with puncture marks.

Words like "coroner", "post-mortem", "autopsy" and "inquest" come to mind. Post-mortems in hospitals, especially after any kind of procedure that might have resulted in death, are fairly routine in the parts of the world I am familiar with. In fact, the family can request an autopsy. Hospitals too often have an interest in knowing why their patients died, even if old, so can seek permission to perform post-mortems. What goes on here?

Maybe because they don't know for sure yet that they were murdered? They take a lot of critical care/end of life patients and already have a high death rate. One of the doctors said on TV that they thought the number more than normal, but not a huge leap. However, the possibility that others among the 46 were murdered as well was raised after they found 10 more IV bags with puncture marks.

Yeah, the story isn't fully clear on that point. You're right, they are reviewing the 46 deaths, they aren't saying that the 46 deaths are all suspicious.

You would think the journalists covering this story would do some basic investigative journalism on and find out how many deaths there were on the same floor of this hospital during the same roughly two-month period in previous years.

Because this is a hospital for terminally ill patients, I would assume the number is somewhat high to begin with. Still, it sounds to me like the reporters on this story are merely reporting what has been spoon fed to them by the hospital's PR team.

The British doctor Harold Shipman murdered at least 218 of his patients, mainly very old ladies, over a period of 28 years until he was finally caught. It's obviously difficult to detect and statistical monitoring is key in identifying death rates outside the norm. Hopefully the detection and arrest of the murderer, if there is one, will pave the way, as was the case in Britain, for a complete overall of the legal structure behind Japan's health care system.

Post-mortems in hospitals, especially after any kind of procedure that might have resulted in death, are fairly routine in the parts of the world

This hospital took in large numbers of terminally ill patients, so there likely wasn't any particular reason for a post mortem in most cases.

You would think the journalists covering this story would do some basic investigative journalism on and find out how many deaths there were on the same floor of this hospital during the same roughly two-month period in previous years.

I agree. Without any reference, the number 46 is meaningless. It's like if I tell you I'll sell you a sandwich for 40 sleckels. Is that expensive? Cheap?

This would constitute one of the worst mass murders in human history by a single individual, yet the news seems awfully quiet about it.

Other than the British Doctor mentioned above, some dude in Russia murdered over 100 people. Even if all 46 deaths were murder in this case, I doubt it will crack the top ten. Unfortunately.

Many have already been cremated, making determining a cause of death more difficult,

Difficult? shouldn't that be impossible?

No one takes notice?

No one takes notice?

Obviously someone did take notice.

Hospitals too often have an interest in knowing why their patients died, even if old, so can seek permission to perform post-mortems. What goes on here? I think that in any country it is unusual to perform routine postmortem investigations in all who die, especially those who are already high risk. But in this case, there was obviously something about them that that prompted a postmortem.

But I understand, largely due to an article u read on JT some years ago that Japan has a shortage of postmortem doctors. This may be because of historical taboos about working with the dead.

The sad truth is, even if someone is convicted for the two or three latest cases it would be impossible to charge them with any previous ones due to a lack of evidence. It's unlikely the murderer would confess to all of them. Due to the fact that these facilities are notoriously understaffed, there could only be a limited few people who had access to the patients and their drips and it should t take the cops too long to find a suspect.

This hospital took in large numbers of terminally ill patients, so there likely wasn't any particular reason for a post mortem in most cases.

I see.

Must be someone with a grudge against the terminally ill then.

Must be someone with a grudge against the terminally ill then.

I've heard sometimes these people think they are doing the victims a service, but ending their suffering.

Messed up either way.

It would take more than one person to pull this off... offer complete immunity to the first person who steps up to tell on the others.

Dr. Shipman san has risen again

This may be because of historical taboos about working with the dead.

Or because it's another four years after you get your M.D., and it pays crap? I know someone who was considering it, but four more years...

“We see many people pass away due to the nature of this hospital, but had the impression that the number of those dying >>was increasing a bit,” a hospital official told Kyodo News.

The cold blood of those people running that hospital, extra dead people are just "a bit" of their running business...

The cold blood of those people running that hospital, extra dead people are just "a bit" of their running business...

You do realize that they take a large number of terminally ill patients, right? Death is something they deal with all the time, not like the average person who deals with it a few times through their lives. You call it cold, they call it their lives.

. extra dead people are just "a bit" of their running business...

Meaning that it was a small increase, not enough to raise an immediate alarm.