Tokyo opens oxygen station; asks all hospitals to accept more COVID patients

Say what?

Government: "Isolate at home! Don't go out as you may spread the virus!"

Also the government: "Come on down to Shibuya, one of the busiest districts in Tokyo."

That's nice, when I get covid in another prefecture, I will take the Shinkansen or plane to come to Shibuya...

Even of it's still in Tokyo... get in the packed train to the oxygen station.

Ha,classic. Girl_in _Tokyo.

‘The government are clueless. I had my first shot 1m distance in the queue front and back, but it was on one of those zig zag queues so right next to me literally right next to me was everyone shuffling forward. Organised failure, it’s a real thing.

What does Koike want hospitals to do, set up ICU in the parking lot like in the US?

Hospitals are out of beds and that's it.

But experts say oxygen only provides temporary relief and that the government should quickly build a makeshift COVID-19 hospital.

I have been saying this for two years now.

So has everyone else.

Why is this a thing?

Hospitals are funded by us taxpayers and us patients. They shouldn't have the right to turn us away.

The govt needs to defund hospitals that refuse to cooperate in this national crisis.

Come to Shibuya and share your covid then get a bit of oxygen and go home! Pure genius, who comes up with this stuff? 130,000 kids come to Paraolympics etc! Der….

Really smart to have someone with Covid at home who needs some O2 to jump on a train travel to busy Shibuya sit in a cubical to get oxygen then go home again. How you going to do contact tracing of the 1,000's who will be exposed as totally idiotic.

Plus lets sent 130k kids to the Olympics for free and get exposed while schools in other countries are closed as kids are carriers.

But the PM is doing such a great job he wants to get reelected.

Total keystone cops!

Although Japan has far fewer cases than many other countries, the wealthy nation’s pandemic response is near collapse. Only a small percentage of hospitals are taking virus patients, either for financial reasons or because they lack the capability to treat infections diseases, experts say

Never miss the chance to slot in this feel-good piece. We inside know why ? No need to keep telling us because it will never change our views.

Tamura said there's limited capacity for those in serious condition nationwide.

Despite the gov't paying 17M JPY for each bed that private hospitals create for every serious.

The beds have not increased, hospitals must be so scared of this virus.

Japan on Monday opened a temporary facility in Tokyo to provide oxygen for up to 130 coronavirus patients with mild symptoms

If you need oxygen, your symptoms are NOT mild. Why can the media not call Japan out on its BS use of “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe “?

Tokyo has been under emergency measures for the majority of the year, most recently since July 12. But new daily cases have increased more than tenfold since then to about 5,000 in Tokyo and 25,000 nationwide, quickly filling up hospital beds and forcing many people to recover at home, some of whom require supplemental oxygen.

And some of whom have died at home.

The case shown yesterday in Asahi news station was really sad and shocking of a guy in his forties who had diabetes and was forced to recover at home, his situation was getting worse and wife and father called an ambulance, they came to pick him up, as usual many hospitals were called and all of them refused taking in this guy reason being because his case was serious, one would reason being serious is the more reason he has to be seen immediately, the ambulance took the guy back home, two days later a hospital was found for him, he was taken to the hospital and a day later he passed away. If hospitals did not turn down this guy maybe he would still be alive. If Asahi news station didn't report this incident we won't know something like this is happening in a country that prides itself for having the largest number of hospital beds and the best healthcare system in the world. Because, we don't read about incidents here on JT or see them on T.V doesn't mean there aren't incidents. There can be a hundred of this kind of incidents a day in the whole of Japan and we will never know if Journalist don't bring them to light.

They had to wait the healthcare system becomes completely strained to finally make a decision on oxygen station.

Of course. If they were to have built an oxygen station before the system became strained, it would have been perceived as reckless and wasteful spending, or having no faith in the health care system. Plus, many people might panic and worry that the Covid-19 situation will get much worse. Always safer to do nothing (-;

asks all hospitals to accept more COVID patients

ASKS. They really look like an impotent government. They have to ASK in such situations. Instead of using the current situation to their advantage in later elections ("look, we did this and this on our own, we improvised"), they prefer to bury their heads in the sand and wait to see what happens.

ASKS.

Be patient. The much more powerful URGES will soon follow.

The so-called oxygen station in Tokyo’s Shibuya district is aimed at people who develop a problem while isolating at home or waiting for hospital vacancies, and is staffed by three doctors and 25 nurses.

I am not sure if these medical professionals should be praised for trying to do something to help or brought before their respective licencing boards on charges of medical malpractice?

On one hand this was going to be done regardless because we now have politicians and bureaucrats dictating medical treatment and issues. So someone has to at least do something to try and avoid a bigger disaster.

But on the other hand by being there they are supporting an insane idea and a clear example of medical malpractice.

Anyone that has had a serious illness or medical condition that causes breathing problems where just catching ones breath is difficult, knows how frightening it is and how quickly it can go From bad to a life and death situation.

If you are at home and having a difficult time breathing that you require medically administration of oxygen, that is definitely not the time to walk, take a train, taxi, drive to a place for a few hours of oxigen then do the return trip, especially in the Tokyo summer heat and humidity.

We have gone from ridiculous to stupid now to insane.

I was a paramedic back home, this was over 30 years ago.

We had a central dispatch that coordinated transport to hospitals.

Hospitals could "request" emergency room be closed to ambulances but they had better have a really good reason and there was a good chance a hospital that made to many closure request would be visited by a supervisor to evaluate the situation and in most cases ordered the reopening of the emergency room.

The ambulance personnel did not have to call and find a hospital we told the dispatch what the medical situation was and they told us what nearest hospital to go to with the needed or best facilities for our patient.

How a city the size of Tokyo still doesn't have such a system in place is mind blowing!

What does the fire department do when they have a large out of control fire, start calling around to neighbouring areas and station "ASKING" for their help?

I mean think about what it would be like it the fire department did the same for fire as they do for ambulances.

" Hello Takenozuka fire station? Yes this is Kita Senju fire station, we have a huge fire here, could you send help? Oh no you can't, ok thank you, Dial the next station, hello Minami Senju fire station? Yes, this is..........."

The ambulance situation is as stupid as the above sounds if it was a fire.

It seems like dark humor that so many Japanese doctors and scientist are originating new and very helpful knowledge about COVID that helps guiding very effective measures all over the world, all while the Japanese government does the opposite and keeps playing games with the lives of the people under their responsibility.

What is the point of having world class experts giving very specific recommendations if the people in charge pretend to be deaf and do completely ineffective things instead?

Uhhm, yes, but how does someone, except some Martians, ever manage to get there without sufficient oxygen? Oh, I forgot, those are mild cases, according to the text. Personally I wouldn’t call them mild, instead I would say they are already rather severe cases and all imply intensive care at a hospital without exception.

Rex- are you referring to the many therapeutics out there? I can't figure out if Japan is using them or if they are avoiding them for some reason. Seems to me if they are effective elsewhere, they would be effective in Japan. Would be tragic if readily available life saving tools are being avoided for non-scientific reasons.

Here are some other depressing facts. Will they spur the J-govt to action?

According to the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine (JSICM), Germany, with a population of 80 million, has about 8,000 intensive care specialists. In contrast, there are only around 2,000 in Japan, which has a population of 126 million.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14151132

Japan now has 5,709 ICU beds nationwide, or about five per 100,000 people -- significantly fewer than in other developed countries. The U.S. has about 35 beds per 100,000 and Germany roughly 30, according to sources including the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-ranks-below-Italy-and-Spain-in-ICU-bed-capacity

@AntiquesavingToday  10:30 am JST

I was a paramedic back home, this was over 30 years ago.

We had a central dispatch that coordinated transport to hospitals.

Hospitals could "request" emergency room be closed to ambulances but they had better have a really good reason and there was a good chance a hospital that made to many closure request would be visited by a supervisor to evaluate the situation and in most cases ordered the reopening of the emergency room.

The ambulance personnel did not have to call and find a hospital we told the dispatch what the medical situation was and they told us what nearest hospital to go to with the needed or best facilities for our patient.

How a city the size of Tokyo still doesn't have such a system in place is mind blowing!

What does the fire department do when they have a large out of control fire, start calling around to neighbouring areas and station "ASKING" for their help?

I mean think about what it would be like it the fire department did the same for fire as they do for ambulances.

" Hello Takenozuka fire station? Yes this is Kita Senju fire station, we have a huge fire here, could you send help? Oh no you can't, ok thank you, Dial the next station, hello Minami Senju fire station? Yes, this is..........."

The ambulance situation is as stupid as the above sounds if it was a fire.

I hear your point and agree but when the hospitals are private and full of sick people who could catch the virus the owner has no inclination to open to covid patients

the government needs to socialize part of its health care so that in such situations or for people on the fridges of society things can not collapse.

or just throw money at some hospitals to take in covid patients or even use the Olympic city as a covid giant government funded clinic….

they just cannot think out side the box hence here we are.

The Like the guy who waits until the fire is blazing to go buy a fire extinguisher.

Good description of Japan, Inc.'s just in time approach to the pandemic and healthcare.

Suga will take the blame guys, don't worry. Blame him for all the deaths. He won't do anything about it but at least he takes the blame.

What does Koike want hospitals to do, set up ICU in the parking lot like in the US?

well that would be a nice start.

For show and for propaganda only. At least 100,000 oxygen beds will be needed in the next 3 months. 130 beds wont even cover the demand for a single day.

Samit BasuToday  07:36 am JST

What does Koike want hospitals to do, set up ICU in the parking lot like in the US?

Hospitals are out of beds and that's it.

Yes that exactly what she and Suga should be doing.

The SDF have hundreds of mobile hospitals including Hazmat units specifically for biological and chemical treatment.

The National police purchased dozen of special Hazmat mobile hospital units Right after the Tokyo Sarin gas attack and all they do with then is take them out to "show" the public at festivals and other events like disaster preparedness day.

Use the darn things that is why they bought them.

Is this a STRONG ASK like demand or command or a WEAK ASK like request? So many of you readers here said all the right thing - spent tons to build Olympic village, stadiums, et only oxygen station? And have people travel to Shibuya, one of the busiest places in Japan? And kids going to paralympics to become superspreader? What a country!!

Rex- are you referring to the many therapeutics out there? I can't figure out if Japan is using them or if they are avoiding them for some reason. Seems to me if they are effective elsewhere, they would be effective in Japan. Would be tragic if readily available life saving tools are being avoided for non-scientific reasons.

You beat me to it!

There are several doctors and other experts who keep requesting the approval of ivermectin for treating Covid-19, because it has been confirmed to be very safe and also found in several studies to be effective at treating Covid-19. A recent example is Haruo Ozaki, chairman of the Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Association.

Anyway, I was surprised that this was very often brought up in Diet sessions over the past year, but unfortunately the response was always that the data is not conclusive and more Japanese clinical trials are needed (as people continue to die).

Anyway, if my understanding is correct, the Government (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) issued a statement allowing doctors to use ivermectin off label to treat Covid-19. Unfortunately, most doctors are not aware of this, so you should mention it to your doctor if ever you test positive.

Raw BeerToday  03:39 pm JST

Rex- are you referring to the many therapeutics out there? I can't figure out if Japan is using them or if they are avoiding them for some reason. Seems to me if they are effective elsewhere, they would be effective in Japan. Would be tragic if readily available life saving tools are being avoided for non-scientific reasons.

You beat me to it!

There are several doctors and other experts who keep requesting the approval of ivermectin for treating Covid-19

The reason it is approved is because it didn't work in trials here in Japan or any other developed country.

The only "doctors" here asking for it is the inventor and those with a financial interest in it being used.

The only approved therapy for early mild cases of covid-19 is casirivimab and imdevimab and it is being used but even company that developed this treatment say get vaccinated.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210816/p2g/00m/0na/044000c

Soon you will need a permit for oxygen...

Antique, how do you explain India?

For the people wanting to talk about India, feel free to look at the curve :

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/india/

The cases one and the death one followed the same pattern, moreover taking in account the increase of their abilities to give oxygen to people needing it, meaning anything India did was affecting the number of cases to begin with, be it throughout the lockdown and/or the vaccine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_India#2021

Were you expecting something else ?

=~=~=

I am wondering are the people posting about taking the train to go there, thinking about the fact that some people could not get the joke, moreover if they are in panic mode ? Obviously they will be brought in and out by ambulance or whatever. It is a short stay oxygen hospital so if need be, grab the phone as before.

Incredible a discussion like is going on at any time, but 20 months into a global pandemic?????

How will they deal with a major earthquake, which we all know is coming?