The health ministry has submitted formal written requests to local prefectural governments and other relevant entities to consider the designation of medical institutions that can prioritize the acceptance of patients infected with the new coronavirus, in preparation for a possible further outbreak of the virus.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry made the requests in a statement dated Thursday. At the designated institutions, hospitals or wards will be used only for inpatients with the virus. By consolidating infected patients, the ministry aims to make it easier to take measures against hospital infections and secure an adequate number of medical specialists and other personnel.
The ministry also requested local governments to establish coordination headquarters to appropriately group infected patients. To strengthen the system to treat patients with severe symptoms, a measure was presented to allocate beds for patients by assessing the number of intensive-care units and medical devices such as ventilators at each medical institution. As a shortage of personnel specializing in infectious diseases is expected at the peak of the viral outbreak, the ministry also called for the immediate training of general doctors and nurses.
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