As the number of people infected with the new coronavirus has been increasing rapidly, mainly in Tokyo, whether or not proper medical care can continue to be provided has emerged as a pressing issue.
If doctors and nurses, among other medical staff, are infected with the virus, it would lead to a deterioration in hospital functions, such as a reduced number of outpatients and inpatients. University hospitals in Tokyo have thus far experienced such cases, which could affect the acceptance of patients, including those infected with the virus.
At Keio University Hospital, it was found that after a patient was transferred there from Eiju General Hospital -- where a mass infection had occurred -- a few other patients sharing the room with the Eiju patient as well as hospital staff, including a nurse, were infected with the virus last month. There was also a mass infection among interns, and as a result, many other interns had to be placed on standby at home as they had been in close contact with those infected.
Meanwhile, the Jikei University Hospital announced on April 3 that six people at the hospital -- patients hospitalized with other diseases, nurses and a doctor -- were infected with the virus.
Both hospitals, in principle, have stopped accepting new outpatients, while limiting inpatients to only those who are in urgent need of care or who have an appointment. They have also basically discontinued emergency medical care. They are trying to contain the infection within their facilities, but it remains uncertain when the two hospitals will be back to being fully operational.
If the infection spreads within university hospitals, it will affect medical care in the neighboring region. Many university hospital doctors also work part-time at nearby hospitals and clinics, dealing with outpatients, being in charge of nighttime emergency medical service and working as an on-call doctor.
Keio University Hospital had to temporarily stop all of its doctors from doing such part-time duties to prevent them from inadvertently spreading the infection at other medical institutions.
Blocking the flow of doctors between the university hospitals and local hospitals is effective in preventing the spread of infections, but at the same time, it could lead to a shortage of doctors in the region.
A professor at a university hospital in Tokyo said, "Now, every university hospital is struggling to find a balance between infection control and maintaining regional medical care."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
