Pearce
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Increasing flu cases in Japan putting hospitals under strain
Japan's medical institutions dealing with emergency patients are struggling with the spread of influenza as their beds are often filled to capacity.
A hospital in Yokohama City near Tokyo says the number of patients brought by ambulance with complaints of high fever or other symptoms increased from mid-December.
The Saiseikai Yokohamashi Tobu Hospital is now accepting 1.5 times more emergency patients than usual. In some cases, elderly people and those with chronic diseases are being hospitalized long-term there.
The hospital says its capacity of about 550 beds is currently under strain. The hospital also struggles with securing medical staff as the infection spreads to doctors and nurses, making them unable to work.
Last Friday, NHK crewmembers observed that the hospital was unable to accept any more emergency patients except for those in need of urgent surgery. Acceptance of emergency patients has resumed there, but the situation is still critical.
On the same day, over 40 percent of medical institutions accepting emergency patients in Yokohama City were full.
The head of the Saiseikai hospital's emergency medical center, Shimizu Masayuki, points out that hospitals also need to accept patients besides flu cases, and stressed the need for a fundamental countermeasure.
He says he feels the need to work with officials of administrative authorities and local medical institutions to tackle the problem.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250120_21/
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02284/
https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/panic-grips-japan-as-deadly-flu-outbreak-rages-a-warning-for-travellers/
