Kagoshima Toshima Village Stops mobile medical care for remote islands Remote medical care New Corona May 12 16:24
Toshima Village, Kagoshima Prefecture, which does not have a resident doctor, temporarily stopped the “patient clinic” conducted by doctors outside the island to avoid the risk of infection, and switched to a video conference. The difficulty of dealing with the remote islands, which does not have a medical system, is highlighted.
In Toshima Village, Kagoshima Prefecture, where there are seven manned islands, there are nurses, but no doctors are stationed there. We performed "patient care".
However, as the infection with the new coronavirus spreads, the hospital side requested that "there is a risk that doctors could become the source of infection," and the mobile clinic has been temporarily suspended since the end of last month.
Currently, we are using a teleconferencing system to provide remote medical care, and for severely ill patients, as in the past, they will be transported by prefecture or the Self-Defense Forces helicopter.
One of the residents who received the medical treatment said, "I don't care if I'm remote, but those who are worried about their health may be disappointed."
Dr. Shinmasa Nagai of the Kagoshima Red Cross Hospital said, “I was struggling every day because I was exposed to the risk of infection. I was talking. "
Toshima Village and the hospital side are considering future policies when the declaration of emergency is lifted, highlighting the difficulty of dealing with the remote islands that do not have a medical system.