People working in medical fields are being directly impacted by deteriorating business performances at medical institutions caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Some hospitals have been forced to cut bonuses for their employees. Medical workers have voiced their frustration, with one saying, "I can't get through this situation just out of a sense of responsibility." Another said, "I'm fed up rather than angry."
A nurse in her 40s said with a sigh that her summer bonus was half of what she got last year. She works at a hospital in the Tokai region and takes charge of patients such as those who have had close contact with infected people.
"I've been worried that I might get infected and spread it to my family members," she said.
The nurse lives with her husband and two children. She is concerned as her younger child has weak lungs. Nevertheless, apologizing to her family, she decided to undertake the task as long as there are people who need to be saved.
Because visitors for inpatients are restricted, her workload has increased as it became necessary to frequently contact the patients' family members. Despite this, her bonus was cut to below the figure she had planned to use for her housing loan payments.
"Despite my growing workload and stress, I've been working hard," the nurse said.
Besides the risk of infection, medical workers also face harmful rumors. According to a nurse in her 50s working at a hospital in Saitama Prefecture that accepts patients who tested positive for the virus, some employees said they were told not to bring their children to after-school childcare facilities.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
