Woman dies after being stabbed in Saitama car park

Sad. I used to live at Miyahara and I always thought it was a nice quite town. Just goes to show that you never really know... I hope they find the coward who stabbed her.

We're in for another Stabby Summer.

@bluewitch, smithinjapan

It is not true that there are no defibrillators inside ambulances however it is true that paramedics here have only recently (last 5 years?) been allowed to administer drugs. Reason for this being that the paramedic program started no more than twenty years ago as compared to other countries, and up till a few years ago, many of them were active firemen as well. I hope their is some change in the works with the system ... but it is unfair to say that they don't have any qualifications and are not trained... they are by law only allowed to do a certain amount of things.

For this particular article, as Badge said, there is nothing saying that it took over an hour to get this person to the ER, only that it was an hour later that she was pronounced dead. As for rules about people being pronounced dead.. they vary from place to place and are a sticky subject. In some countries, only a MD, medical examiner or registered nurse can pronounce a death, some controversies having stemmed from people pronounced dead by paramedics and coming back alive.

Saitama is back!

Oh Saitama! This is not good!!

@Andi

Oh yes, I wish that too. It's just so sad that she didn't make it.

@Smithinjapan

Thank you, Smith...I didn't know that. I wish I never have to call an Ambulance in here...no live saving techniques, no qualifications, can't even pronounce someone dead..my gosh...I'll drive to the hospital myself, it'll be way faster than the snail-paced ambulances for sure.

@Elbuda Mexicano

I didn't notice, oopppss Saitama again?! Yuck.

I don't want to go off topic but since its printed on the article, I want to point something out. Notice that the person who reported her and called the ambulance did it somewhere around 6pm? Hmmm I wonder why did it take so long that they pronounced her dead at 7:25pm!! I don't want to sound harsh but why do the ambulances in here take so damn long??

There's nothing that says the ambulance took so long, ambulance probably arrived within minutes. Even if she was alive she could of died later, or could of already been dead but was pronounced officially by the doctor.

@BlueWitch Right, in Japan most people (like sheeple anywhere else in the world) trust too much on public services (be it medical services or the government who tells you to stay in your area because you're safe from the Tsunami there, just to be flooded and drowning five minutes later...) but recent history more often than not proves that taking matters into your own hand and trust your instinct is the way to survive.

@Badge

I'm 7 months pregnant at the moment and believe me, if something happens, I rather drive myself to the hospital than wait for the ambulance to pick me up. I've seen too many times how awfully SLOW they are. Still, not having life-saving devices or a defibrillator on an ambulance leave me perplexed. (If someone knows different, please let me know!)

@retaliator

LOL that's true...the "wait and see" sheep effect, wait for instructions even if you die in the process...Thanks but NO thanks. I'll go wit my gut because life is just ONE.

here is something i cant get over!!

why people die in japan as soon they get to the Hospital?

i mean, i can tell you from what i have seen in the US or my own "poor country" that if you arrive alive at the Hospital they keep you alife, and that is not from knife cut, over there is from gun shoot to the head and worse, but here every story i see the person die at the Hospital.

can someone please give me some info on this!?

i mean to said "alive"

sorry

Bluewitch - The point you raise makes me think about a friend of mine who had a heart attack while waiting for a bus here in Tokyo. Took the ambulance over an hour to get him to the hospital. (And as was pointed out, that is all an ambulance does in Japan, i.e. transport you!) He didn't make it and I often wonder if he had been taken in a more timely fashion whether they could have done something for him at the hospital to have saved his life.

Don't forget that the ambulance is driving at a snail's pace because many drivers in Japan don't stop, get out of the way, or don't care. Sad, but I see it quite often where I live/drive.

These people watch too many of those suspense dramas with stabbings. That's where they get their ideas. Ban those TV shows, especially during the time children are returning home from school.

@Godan

How sad and frustrating to lose a friend in such way. It makes you wonder if there was something that could have been done to keep him alive. As for the SNAIL'S PACE, yep, lots of people turn a blind eye and don't care that there's an ambulance coming through. They just stay there staring like MORONS. (What goes around comes around though!)

@rizaric

Well, Good to hear they have defibrillators inside, yet I wonder what does it take to make use of it? Also, If they are so restricted and limited when it comes to keep someone alive, I guess they are what Smith called them, GLORIFIED CABBIES..just a mean of transportation to the hospital, not REAL PARAMEDICS per se! Hmmm...

And the "paramedic program" began 20 years ago? Drug administration the last 5 years? HOLY CRAP!! Can't Japan be more backwards/outdated/archaic? They're still stuck in the age of the Dinosaur...wow!

If she was still alive when she reached the hospital they would have tried to get blood into her and tried to stop the bleeding. It would only be after they were convinced that the case were hopeless that they would call her dead. Of course I could also tell you about a traffice accident I arrived at right next to the Washington, DC hospital and how long it took the ambulance to arrive. It's tragic. I hope they catch the coward who did this.

@BlueWitch

There deficiencies in the systems are not unrecognized....the definition of paramedic differs depending on country, state and even city in some cases. In comparison, other countries have programs extending back to the 70s or 80s. However, for many reasons, there have been in the past a greater 'emergency medicine' culture in many western countries (St. John's Ambulance, etc, or legions that were originally military medics). In contrast, in Japan, originally it was the fire department providing an emergency transportation service, with minimal medical care. It is not so much the difference in time or advancement of treatment as how the systems have developed, and the fact that for whatever reason, until recently, that the concept of emergency medical services has been implemented... hopefully soon better training programs will be in place and we will see an increased role of paramedics and an increase in the quality of pre-hospital care.

Chances are, this is the work of someone who knows the victim rather than a torima-type assailant.

Ambulance is a mis noma, one drives the No2 apologizes and asks people to move- over the siren,(Why???! sirens indicate emergency, move it...in most places) might be an unqualified NO3 in back who due to training or Law is unable to help in a meaningful way. Again looks the part but has nothing behind it. It's an untrained position. It's sad that this lady died in such a way, it happens too much. Way too much, agree TV has a part to play as does the Munga. Solving a problem with a knife, or suicide plants seeds in weak minds. It is not normal.

I just remembered they also have to find aHospital that has an open Emergency ward and a Doctor, this can take time. So it usual to see patient in the back and the staff on their phones. The Golden hour is waisted.

Having had the misfortune to have had a rather necessary ambulance ride in Japan, I can attest to the phoning round trying to find a hospital willing to take the patient, whilst the patient is waiting in the back of the ambulance and the paramedics doing nothing at all. I was not impressed. Surely all hospitals have medical staff in them, and they should treat people as and when the need arises and not pick and choose who and when to treat. How many people could be saved if they were immediately taken to the nearest facility!

Gwragged.

Not that easy, many are small private hospitals and deal in specialised treatments and sicknesses. So they don't have a full ER but rather a specialist on standby/call, ie there is no real ER but they do take emergencies for their specialisation on request. Very little night-staff on the premises. Most Hospitals here got less than 30 beds.

If you got a Red Cross, University, etc Hospital close-by they will have a fully fledged ER but again will refuse patients if they get more than they can handle reasonably.

Gwragged,

Totally agree. After experiencing firsthand how the Japanese ambulances and hospitals work l was truly shocked. What happened to me was l had trouble breathing one night to the point where l was gasping for breathe, after trying to call an ambulance my wife gave up in frustration bundled me into the car and drove me to the nearest hospital (about 3 minutes away). When we got there l was struggling for breathe and was told sorry we cant help you need to go to this other hospital. 10 minutes away. By this time l could hardly stand and they called an ambulance. Ambulance arrives and they get me on a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance and we sit there for another 5 minutes with 1 ambulance person patting me on the arm say you ok.... No help at all. We then proceeded to putt along (l could drive faster myself) with this person patting my arm saying you ok the whole bloody way. No help at all. So if this is anything to go by l pity anyone using the ambulance system here.

Reasons for the phone-calls as was pointed out is that most hospitals don't keep the online system(accessed from ambulance) updated.

"multiple stab wounds"

I'm tired of hearing about all these crimes committed with knives.

She was discovered by a local resident at around 6 p.m. after he heard her call for help, although she was unconscious when paramedics arrived on the scene. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m., police said.

I don't want to go off topic but since its printed on the article, I want to point something out. Notice that the person who reported her and called the ambulance did it somewhere around 6pm? Hmmm I wonder why did it take so long that they pronounced her dead at 7:25pm!! I don't want to sound harsh but why do the ambulances in here take so damn long?? and worst of all, are they even prepared enough to keep someone alive? Do they know how to use a defibrillator machine? Jeez, how many people die on their way to the hospital? Snail-paced speed on top of everything.

R.I.P. Lady

Defibrillation would be great if it worked after you are pronounced dead ., Whoopee Walking Zombies

Bluewitch: "Hmmm I wonder why did it take so long that they pronounced her dead at 7:25pm!! I don't want to sound harsh but why do the ambulances in here take so damn long?? and worst of all, are they even prepared enough to keep someone alive?"

Not sure about the timing, but no, they certainly don't have the qualifications needed to keep people alive. Paramedics in most country are just that -- almost doctors themselves, and trained in how to keep people alive from pick up to hospital. In Japan, they are not... in fact, I think they are just glorified cabbies. This woman was probably dead long before she reached the hospital, but ambulance staff cannot pronounce it -- a doctor must, and hence you ALWAYS here 'pronounced dead at hospital'.