With the expansion of the new coronavirus outbreak, cases of women within the Tokyo metropolitan area being disallowed from giving birth at the hospitals in their hometowns have emerged one after another. There are also cases where reservations made in advance have been canceled since the state of emergency was declared on April 7. Obstetrical and gynecological hospitals and clinics in the metropolitan area have begun efforts to accept women in such a predicament.
A 29-year-old woman was originally scheduled to give birth to her second baby after returning to her parents' home in Yamagata Prefecture, but after the emergency was declared, she was refused by the hospital where she had given birth to her first child in the prefecture, despite earlier confirmation of her appointment, citing the prevention of coronavirus infection as the reason.
She tried to look for other hospitals near her parents' house only to find that they also refused to accept women returning home from other prefectures for delivery. It has been made possible for her to deliver at a Tokyo hospital, but she expressed disappointment, saying in a low voice, "I had made preparations (to enter the hometown hospital) a while ago because the delivery risks my life."
Many regional medical institutions cannot afford to respond to urgent requests for hometown delivery, so the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology issued a statement on April 7, calling for a refrain from hometown childbirths. However, cases of reservations for delivery made before the issuance of the statement being canceled have emerged.
At Obstetrical and Gynecological Clinic Sacra in Yokohama, there were five to six cases in the past week of women who undergone pregnancy checkups at the clinic being refused delivery at their hometown hospitals despite being scheduled well in advance. At the Tokyo Mothers' Clinic in Tokyo, there was a woman who was refused delivery in her hometown clinic in Akita Prefecture.
Women's clinics in the Tokyo metropolitan area have begun making arrangements to accept women who have been refused for delivery in their home regions. The Tokyo Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has compiled a list of 128 clinics that are able to accept such women and released the list on its webpage. Kanagawa and Chiba prefectural governments have issued a notification to women's clinics, asking them to accept women who are refused by their home region's hospital.
Tadashi Kimura, chairperson of the Japan Obstetrics and Gynecology, said, "As hospitals and clinics in urban areas still can afford to accept pregnant women, I suggest they first consult medical institutions where they receive pregnancy checkups.
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