Support for new corona 1 Employees in 13 prefectures overwork Long working hours over the line

Support for new corona 1 Employees of 13 prefectures in Tokyo Overwork death line Super long working hours September 13 18:29

Around April, when the infection with the new coronavirus reached its first peak, it was found that local government employees were forced to work long hours beyond the so-called "karoshi line" in at least 1 metropolitan area and 13 prefectures. ..

In early April, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus exceeded 700 per day, reaching its first peak, and local governments were forced to respond.

When NHK summarized the overtime hours of local government employees that have been clarified so far in information disclosure requests, it was found that at least one city and 13 prefectures were forced to work overtime more than 100 hours a month.

Of these, in Okayama Prefecture, by June, a total of 80 staff members, including health centers, were in charge of operations to deal with the new coronavirus in the prefecture, Okayama City, and Kurashiki City. It was.

In addition, there were a number of cases where overtime worked more than 200 hours a month, with the longest employee in Yamaguchi Prefecture reaching 266 hours, Fukui Prefecture 232 hours, and Chiba Prefecture 217 hours.

Overtime work of more than 100 hours a month or more than 80 hours on average is one of the criteria for karoshi and suicide by the Labor Standards Inspection Office, and is also called the "karoshi line".

The national and local governments are considering ways to reduce the burden on health centers, etc., but if the influenza epidemic and the spread of the new coronavirus infection overlap in winter, there are concerns about further strain on operations, so it will be swift. Correspondence is required.

Expert "Using this lesson to prepare for the next epidemic"

Shuichi Nakamura, chairman of the "Medical Care and Welfare Policy Research Forum", a general incorporated association familiar with health care, said, "Local governments are required to improve efficiency through administrative and financial reforms, and the number of personnel at health centers has been reduced. The problem of the new coronavirus has entered the place where I am holding, and it is in a very difficult situation. "

On top of that, "We must use the lessons learned this time to prepare for the next epidemic. A mechanism for dispatching people between local governments and listing potential public health nurses who are not currently working. In addition, both national and local governments must consider financial measures to strengthen personnel. "