“Hospital reorganization” 424 hospitals nationwide Ripple spread by announcing their real names
It was a sudden announcement.
In September, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced the real names of 424 hospitals nationwide that should be discussed for reorganization and integration.
The reason why the government is going to advance discussions on reorganization of hospitals is that there is a growing shortage of doctors and nurses, and that public expenses spent on deficit public hospitals are expanding to about 800 billion yen. There is.
However, this time, the real name of the hospital was suddenly announced, and there have been strong voices from various places.
For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare held an opinion exchange meeting with local governments in Tokyo on the 29th, but criticisms such as not considering the local situation were repeated.
What kind of voice is coming up now at the sites where the ripples spread? We will look at each of the following items.
1. 1. Opinion exchange meeting in various countries. What is the country public in the first place?
3. 3. Public hospital (1) “Only here” medical care Announced hospital (2) Although it is about to become profitable due to management improvement The reason why the country rushed to reorganize hospitals is 6. The country raised their hands and the country supported
1. Opinion exchange meetings in various countries
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare held an exchange meeting with representatives from Kanto Koshinetsu's 9 prefectures in Tokyo on the 29th.
Among them, the head of the public hospital in Nagano Prefecture said, “Regional hospitals are desperately protecting the lives of residents by providing medical care that private hospitals cannot afford. This announcement was integrated into such hospitals. "It sounds like you don't have to live in the region," he said, and urged the hospitals that need restructuring and integration discussions to be reviewed again.
On the other hand, the person in charge of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare stated that “I am reluctant to worry that it was abruptly announced,” and that the name of the hospital was announced for the purpose of activating the discussion in the region. Explained that it is not something that can be determined.
Opinion exchange meetings by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare were held sequentially at seven locations nationwide, and at the opinion exchange meeting held in Fukuoka City on the 17th of this month, the participants said, “Mechanical announcements disregarding the actual medical conditions in the region were canceled Criticism was also issued, "seeking for".
2. What is the country public in the first place?
In the first place, what were the 424 hospitals that were announced as “reorganization required” selected for judgment?
▼ One is that medical treatment is particularly limited in areas such as cancer, perinatal period and emergency.
▼ And the other is “there is a medical institution with similar functions in the neighborhood”.
Hospitals that were applicable to either one of these were made public.
3. Public hospitals (1) “Only here” special medical care
However, some of the publicized hospitals include those that cannot be achieved with these two elements alone.
One of them is the “Fukuoka Child Care Center Shinkoen” in Shingu Town, Fukuoka Prefecture.
This nursing center provides treatment and exercise training for children with physical dysfunction such as difficulty in moving limb muscles, as well as orthopedic surgery for children with cerebral palsy.
Since it is a child care center, there are no medical treatments, such as cancer and stroke, that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has used for this time.
About 30 children use it a day, but parents and doctors are confused and anxious.
The director of the nursing center says, “The sudden announcement has caused confusion and parents and staff are worried about it. We want to do our best so that the hospital can be used and the hospital will continue.”
4). Public hospital (2) Immediately before profitability due to management improvement
Hospitals that are expected to become profitable as a result of hospital reform were also announced.
This is the Togi Hospital in Shiga Town, Ishikawa Prefecture.
This hospital, which has been in the red due to population decline and aging, has been improving its management for two years.
One of them is the “Nursing Care Center”, which was first opened at public hospitals nationwide in January. This is an in-hospital care facility that can provide medical care, and there are many needs from the community.
With these efforts, the hospital bed utilization rate, which was approximately 60% until last year, has recovered to around 90% this year, and this year is expected to be the first surplus since opening.
The hospital director says, “I was surprised at this announcement while the hospital was getting better due to the hospital reform. I think that it will be an indispensable hospital that will definitely be in the future.”
5. The background of the country rushing hospital reorganization
This is the first time that the government has announced public hospitals that require discussion on reorganization and integration.
There are the following reasons why the country is proceeding with discussions on reorganization and integration.
▼ One is that many public hospitals are in serious “red-loss management” and the burden of public expenses is increasing. The total amount of money paid by local governments nationwide amounts to approximately 800 billion yen per year.
▼ In addition, there is a shortage of personnel such as doctors and nurses that are becoming increasingly serious in local hospitals. The country says that hospital reorganization and consolidation can be centralized, ensuring medical quality.
6). The country raised their hands and the country supported
What do experts think about the announcement of the name of the hospital, which has led to a backlash in each region?
Professor Toshinori Izeki of Josai University, who is familiar with the reorganization and integration of hospitals, said, “It was a rough way to announce the name without notice, and the patient was worried that“ the hospital will disappear ”. "It may have led to doctors leaving the hospital and causing a backlash."
It is not bad to show data and discuss reorganization and integration, but it should be noted that the situation is completely different between urban and rural areas.
So how should the discussion proceed?
Prof. Izeki said, “It is desirable to decide the hospital to be reorganized mainly by the local community and local government, and raise the hand to support the country.”