The health ministry has decided that pregnant women will have the cost of their PCR tests for the coronavirus subsidized with taxpayer money, whether they show symptoms or not.
PCR tests prior to surgery were already covered under public health insurance to prevent the virus from spreading inside hospitals, but it was not covered for women about to give birth.
The main purpose of the subsidy is to ease the minds of pregnant women, so the test will only be given on a voluntary basis.
During childbirth, the virus would likely be spread from the heavy breathing of the woman giving birth. To prevent infection, medical professionals have pushed for a subsidy to cover the cost of a PCR test before the child is born.
Also, pregnant women may have strong concerns about whether the infection would affect their health or the health of their unborn child. Although there has been no evidence that pregnancy heightens the risk of having more severe symptoms, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has decided that tests are necessary for those who wish to take them.
Another condition of the subsidy is that pregnant women who test positive for the coronavirus receive sufficient local support. Pregnant women who test positive are at risk of having to live apart from their children or being discriminated against in their communities, negatively affecting their mental health. They also may not be able to find a hospital that would accept them.
The subsidy is expected to be included in the second supplementary budget as part of the prefectural governments' projects to support pregnant women amid the pandemic. The projects will also include implementing online classes for mothers and providing child-rearing support for people who have difficulty returning to their hometowns.
The Fukui and Kyoto prefectural governments already have their own programs to subsidize PCR tests for pregnant women.
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