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As pandemic worsens, more medical workers bail out

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"When I heard Prime Minister Suga's remark during the Diet proceedings that 'a budget sufficient for coronavirus countermeasures has been secured,' I felt drained of energy." 

The speaker, a physician at a university hospital in the Tokyo area, explained why to Asahi Geino (Feb 11). 

"Our hospital has been treating COVID-19 patients, but because of that I can no longer conduct outpatient treatment at other hospitals, out of fear that I'll transmit the coronavirus to their patients or to other doctors. Neither doctors nor nurses feel that the budget for dealing with the coronavirus is sufficient, and nothing we've said has had any effect. 

"We're totally frustrated over this," said Shigeru Omi, president of the Japan Community Health Care Organization, who also heads the government's expert panel on the COVID-19 pandemic. "We should have established a physician supply system and reinforced our public health functions last summer." 

"From now, a real collapse of the medical system is going to happen," said the aforementioned university hospital physician. "From February through March, the directors of nursing or personnel managers at all types of hospitals are watching out for nurses resigning on a massive scale. Workers whose job is to repeatedly sanitize hospital areas are exhausted. They might all walk out." 

With the uptick in COVID-19 cases in January, hospitals that can admit emergency patients in Tokyo are already said to have reached their full capacity, said a nurse at the Toda Chuo General Hospital in Saitama Prefecture, which has been grappling with the largest cluster of infections in the country.

Out of a total work force of 1,300, 10% have contracted the virus, leading to successive closure of the hospital's wards. After the first cases were diagnosed in November the figures leaped in December. By Jan 28, the number of patients and staff testing positive reached 300, of whom more than 30 had to be admitted in dangerous conditions. 

"I tried to quit, but was told, 'You should be thankful you have a job,'" the nurse relates. "As long as I don't come down with COVID myself, there's no escape. I can't see any meaning to continuing to work at a job that risks sacrifice of my life or livelihood. I didn't want to put colleagues on the spot, so I stayed until the end of last year, but I'm through with nursing for good," she said. 

A hospital director in west Japan vented his anger at Suga. 

"First, the stated number of beds available for corona patients in regional areas is fictitious. While vacancies are reported in wards and in ICUs, this doesn't reflect the real situation. The government decided to provide an allotment of 19.5 million yen per newly available hospital bed for sufferers in serious condition, and 9 million yen for patients with light to moderate symptoms. But I don't think any hospitals have been admitting patients with severe symptoms." 

Treating each patient a requires a team of six to eight people -- doctors, nurses and other staff -- working in three 8-hour shifts, so a total of 18 to 24 staff are required. But considering extended hospitalization required for at least some COVID-19 patients, a one-time 19.5 million yen payout per bed won't cover the costs involved. 

Another problem is one of low remuneration. A freelance nurse dispatched to care for a coronavirus patient can receive 20,000 yen per day. But public health workers on the front lines, with the risky job of conducting PCR tests, are paid just 2,000 yen per hour -- the lowest level of all advanced economies. 

"In New York City, want ads for COVID nurses are offering $100 an hour, or $1,000 for a 10-hour day," says a nurse who lives in the United States. "Although it's said that most people can't continue such demanding work for very long." 

In contrast, says Asahi Geino, look at China, where nurses caring for COVID patients have been guaranteed an annual salary three times the national average, and accorded special privileges as befits honored citizens. 

"We're already at the point where ambulances drive around from hospital to hospital, unable to find a vacant space," says the aforementioned doctor in west Japan. "Other patients can't obtain treatment for cancer, and some towns are seeing their only hospitals go under. It's just so vexing to see the government pump an additional 1 trillion yen into the Go To Travel budget, instead of providing more funds for vaccines and coronavirus treatment. 

"We may be headed for a complete collapse of the country's medical system."

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

10 Comments
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Well, this is expected.

Not only do these medical workers face severe discriminations in their every day lives, but the MAJORITY of them saw their salaries reduced this year despite more workload. Not only that, many doctors and nurses received no bonus payments this year either.

The government choose to give massive amount of money for the Go To Travel programs, but until this day, still REFUSES to provide financial support to the health care workers.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

If you new the adverage salary of a Nurse in Japan. You would bail out too. Not worth the money over getting Covid. As for doctors in public hospitals not sure there salary are but without govt support its too late the medical system is already starting to perhaps crash. At this rate many will unfortunately be turn down for medical care in Tokyo. Not sure what the conditions are in other prefectures as its alway about TOKYO TOKYO the epic center of japan. Hope there is still hope.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I am retired now, but am familiar with the concept of burn-out. I have thought about what I would do if I were in the position these people face. For the sake of my sanity, I think I would insist on getting time off, at least one day a week. Better to take a day off than to walk away from a career.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

First, the stated number of beds available for corona patients in regional areas is fictitious. While vacancies are reported in wards and in ICUs, this doesn't reflect the real situation.

very very telling about the gov is feeding us vs the actual truth..

"We're already at the point where ambulances drive around from hospital to hospital, unable to find a vacant space," says the aforementioned doctor in west Japan. "Other patients can't obtain treatment for cancer, and some towns are seeing their only hospitals go under.

"We may be headed for a complete collapse of the country's medical system."

and yet we are apparently doing sooo much better than the west.. or so we are told.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Aly Rustom, it could be a political truth, meaning that the beds really are available but forgetting to mention that even though the beds are there, there are no use because there is no one to take care of anyone who is put in them. At best, I suppose, this is a half truth.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Aly Rustom, it could be a political truth, meaning that the beds really are available but forgetting to mention that even though the beds are there, there are no use because there is no one to take care of anyone who is put in them. At best, I suppose, this is a half truth.

fair enough brother

3 ( +3 / -0 )

What a topsy-turvy world we live in. Medical workers and teachers endure risk in this pandemic to do their jobs with remuneration not commensurate with the importance of their labor.

Going by the governments' pandemic relief, you would think the real heroes are hotel, restaurant and travel agency owners.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Workers whose job is to repeatedly sanitize hospital areas are exhausted. They might all walk out."

This is only barely mentioned, but is a very important detail. Cleaning and management staff are not only exhausted but also paid a tiny amount even if they have to deal with strong risk of infection and complicated, troublesome procedures that tire even the most motivated person.

Not being a well recognized profession they don't feel so much pressured to keep working on those conditions, so they quit much more easily. As expected it is not easy to find replacements, not with the salaries offered. At the end nurses and other assistants have to take care of the cleaning on top of their own responsibilities, this ads to their exhaustion and frustration (since they have to do a job they are not supposed to be doing) and makes the whole situation worse and worse.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

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