Frontline health workers in Japan continue to face discrimination over virus

being told by family members not to come home, being shunned even by staff from other wards, and being subjected to abuse when making house calls.

Disgraceful. It will be a shame if any of these scumbags need the help of these medical professionals one day, and the ambulance arrives too late. A real shame.

Medical workers are heroes.

I was hospitalized with COVID19, my first hospitalization for an illness (the others all being injuries). The nurses were heroes. They never sat: even when the input patient data, they stood at terminals. Patient beds were fitted with sensors so they were alerted when a patient had left the bed and darted en mass towards the room like gazelles in case the patient had fallen: every second counts in those cases. (I learned to page them every time I had to get up to pee, which was often due to the frequent IVs). I gained a great deal of respect for the profession over my experience. Honer, not shun them.

Absolutely idiotic. I still do not understand this side of the Japanese culture.

A sad negative side of our culture here that is a bit more prevalent in Japan than in the west I think.

The notion that discrimination is wrong is not really as strong.

Being Japanese but Caucasian Hawaiian too, theres a lot of people who are labeled and thus “different”.

But to harass a hospital worker or their families during the pandemic should get the same naming and shaming as a pachinko

...... resulting in the children of hospital staff being refused entry to kindergartens....

Which kindergartens?

The husband of a nurse at the hospital was told by his company not to come into the office should his wife continue working.

Which company? Have they been asked for comment or to provide an interview?

Another nurse who was pregnant was denied a medical examination by a doctor at a different hospital.......

Which hospital? Doctor's name?

Disgraceful. What a backward and negative culture. Tourists to japan don’t see this, so it’s up to the media to expose it as much as possible. Japanese omotenashi, what a joke.

Japanese people tend to be discriminatory against people who are “different”. This really Is a negative culture.

Well, that's what happens in a culture that accepts harassment, even though it pretends to be against it. Or if I'm wrong, what punishment are the companies, schools, childcare services, and other places that discriminate against these health care workers and their families receiving? In fact, I'm guessing the people that have talked about said discrimination have had to do so anonymously because it is perfectly okay here to punish people who speak out, too.

The husband of a nurse at the hospital was told by his company not to come into the office should his wife continue working. He was effectively forced to choose between his wife quitting her job or quitting himself, according to the report.

What a wimpy, not having the balls like shunkan bunshun and name this despicable company.

Not naming only exacerbates the situation.

Discrimination is totally wrong. But the sad thing is, if it were pilots, taxi drivers or Fukushima residents that are being discriminated against, these same medical staff will join in the discrimination.

This culture has to change.

How? I have no idea

When? Maybe never

I'll say it again - beneath the very thin facade of politeness and manners, lies a very real darkness.

Now don't get me wrong, every country has darkness. The difference I see is that in Japan it's not acknowledged at all - it's ignored and not spoken about.

This baffles me... from my 20 years experience e here, anytime someone has a sniffle o temp of 37c they have to head to the doctor...

And now they want to shun them.

Anyone who is harassing medical staff should refrain from ever visiting a hospital or doctor every again. Too bad if you are a in a car crash, or fall down stairs etc.... you treat Doctors and nurses badly, then you don’t deserve their help.

what happened to the Japanese omotenashi they've been bragging about?

If you are new here and don't understand the language the omotenashi is great.

The burnout in this kind of job is already very high in the West, to add on the discrimination of Japan must be unreal

Kentarogaijin: "This happens not only in Japan, in all the world is happening, read other countries news, sadly this not about a county culture, it's human behavior fueled by fear, hate and ignorance."

Hogwash. In NYC the people lean out of their windows every morning or night and clap for the people on the front lines, and in many cases offer assistance where they can. If people are discriminating against them, those people are named and shamed, not vice-versa. Every country has discrimination, yes, but only here do people deny it exists and deflect, or feel the need to talk about how it's worse elsewhere, etc. Not very "Omotenasu" at all.

My sister in low and my niece are nurses and dealing with COVID19 patients in France. They are praised every day by their friends and neighbours for the job they are doing.

I cannot understand this discrimination.

what happened to the Japanese omotenashi they've been bragging about?

pressed post before I finished last one.

But even if they do need help the healthcare workers I know will treat them with the utmost care and respect. They do their job and they do it well and people so often take them for granted.

It's understandable, and yet it's stigmatising for the Medical Health care workers at a time when they're most needed.

It's understandable, in that people who are in close proximity to those carrying the virus, therefore have a higher likely-hood of catching it than were they not there at all. So it's doesn't take much to put 2 & 2 together and see that if you were to get in close contact with one of those Health workers, then you too could catch something from them. But, we should not suddenly think, that this is a new thing, Corona-virus related, throughout time, people have found themselves distanced through what they do, who they are born to, where they come from, and even how much money they have (or have not).

I doubt the level of testing has much to do with this. People are just letting their prejudices run riot.

Japan needs to enact laws making discrimination illegal with significant penalties. And open the door to civil suits for damages. That's the only thing that will change this prejudice mentality. The government also needs to elevate the image of medical professionals in society.

This type of discrimination is where real anti-discrimination and hate speech laws could be put into effect. The victims can record it, the perpetrators are subject to heavy fines, and the proceeds deposited into the accounts of the victims, rewarding them for their valuable service.

Discrimination is not the root of the problem. It's unnecessary fear whipped up by media hype. The worldwide average age of those dying from the virus is 75-80. 

Yeah, it's so lucky there are hardly any people in Japan in their 70s and over.

Right?

A merit of the COVID-19 is that it reveals the true colors of people around the world, including those who have sometimes self declared as first-class citizens.

"I think people who turn to coronavirus bullying are tired. Because they have no place to let out the stress that accumulates every day, they use the coronavirus as an outlet," one user wrote.

So how does that explain the Burakumin, Hibakusha, those who lost their homes and loved ones in the 3/11 disasters or others throughout Japan's history? Is everyone in Japan tired throughout all time?

Thank heaven for those in Japan (and in societies worldwide) who choose to serve and protect others. They're drop dead tired themselves, but will hold a dying person's hand and offer whatever ministrations they can. That they should have to suffer abuse as a result is deplorable.

And, and, and, just where is the "omotenashi" Japan that the world has come to expect?????

macv

what happened to the Japanese omotenashi they've been bragging about?

Honne & Tatemae...

if you are one of those discriminating against them you need to be ashamed of yourself.

But I don't think that there is any shame in doing so in Japan and that's partly why people are so happy to do so.

I think also that the stigma attached to catching it is so great that people don't want to do anything that will increase the risk.

I don't think it is fear of the illness itself, but fear of being the person with the illness, it even worse, the fear if being the person who spread the illness.

After all, to have caught the virus, you must have engaged in some thoughtless and selfish act, like associating with nurses.

Quick send the jets over again!

“Frontline health workers in Japan continue to face discrimination over virus.”

TIJ

My intrepid Japanese wife a career midwife gynecology terminally-ill patient nurse will be coming home around 10-11 am this morning after working since 2 pm yesterday 20+ hours. Far as I know neither she nor any of our 3 kids have experienced any discrimination if they do I"ll be happy to have a discussion with those imbeciles. She and her team don't give a hoot about a publicity stunt waste of money jet flyby. Their compensation an insult to their noble profession. Instead of increasing salaries to reward their commitment and attract others to join the club Japan invites foreigners to become nurses and work for peanuts - what an intelligent strategy - not.

@ "Concerned" Citizen

About 30 million people are above 65 years old in Japan (26% of the population).

Serious medias are just reporting facts.

COVID19 is no joke and we are learning as an on-going process on how to deal with it.

Throughout the world, people who discriminate against healthcare workers would gladly accept their support should the discriminators become infected with COVID-19 or some other life-threatening virus. Such hypocrisy!

I agree with the previous post. PM Abe and other politicians, along with athletes, movie and TV celebrities should publicly show their support and appreciation for healthcare workers who are laboring to contain the COVID-19 virus.

Anyone who is “tainted” faces discrimination. Burakumin of old who were the butchers and tanners and did the dirty work. Hibakusha in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now doctors and nurses? HiCoronaSha

Am I surprised? Sadly no. Ever wonder why some people are so private abou their lives and jobs here? the evidence is in the story.

When medical personnels who are risking their lives to save COVID-19 patients face hostility and ostracism it means the lack of a very vocal government support and necessary visible show of appreciation .

Flying of jets is just kids play. What is necessary is a daily thank you from PM Abe and all the government officials who should then also urge the public to give support .

They should remind the folks who threatens the medical staff that they would be denied admission in local hospitals and transferred to Pyongyang and the famous hospital in the Queens .

FORNTLINE HEALTH WORKERS: Many Many many of us are with you. Ignore the arrogant people doing this bullying.

It's like the person bully the mechanic because he/she is poor and dirty. Then one day a call is placed to their car shop because the bully's BMW broke down and are calling for help.

I pray that these bullies never get sick but Karma does have its way of getting back to the bullies.

There are ignorant people everywhere...

Heathcare workers are honored and celebrated as heroes everywhere around the world except for Japan.

Here in the US, healthcare workers get free Starbucks, free oil change, free hotel stays, etc.

What's wrong with Japan, Japanese should be thanking them instead.

Pls tell the discriminators to take car of the CORONA v themselves.

@ Samit Basu

"Heathcare workers are honored and celebrated as heroes everywhere around the world except for Japan.

Here in the US, healthcare workers get free Starbucks, free oil change, free hotel stays, etc.

What's wrong with Japan, Japanese should be thanking them instead."

Again Fake news from samit!!

https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-air-force-pilots-fly-over-tokyo-to-salute-medical-workers

Discrimination is not the root of the problem. It's unnecessary fear whipped up by media hype. The worldwide average age of those dying from the virus is 75-80. The very vast majority of people have nothing to panic about.

This type of reaction is unnecessary.

Every country has discrimination, yes, but only here do people deny it exists and deflect, or feel the need to talk about how it's worse elsewhere, etc.

Whereas the Japan haters need to try to pretend that it's Japan-specific, or worse here than in the rest of the world.