Designation of clinics that can be used for medical treatment and examinations is progressing to the simultaneous epidemic, but it is "insufficient" October 9, 20:39
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Amid concerns about the simultaneous epidemic of the new coronavirus and influenza, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to designate clinics that can treat and test fever patients through prefectures within this month.
On the other hand, regarding the number specified so far, we are calling on prefectures to secure designated destinations, saying that "there are not so many reports yet, but the number is not sufficient."
Until now, in principle, patients with fever consulted with a public health center, etc., and when it was judged that they were "suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus," they were referred to a medical institution for examination.
However, if the number of fever patients increases rapidly due to the influenza epidemic, the burden will be concentrated on health centers, etc., so the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will treat fever patients and call clinics that can test both the new corona virus and other medical institutions. Last month, I notified the prefectures to specify.
In order to prevent nosocomial infections, it is a condition that a doctor's office dedicated to fever patients should be set up and that they should not be in contact with other patients by conducting examinations in an outdoor tent.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is requesting prefectures to make designations within this month, and plans to distribute and subsidize test kits to the designated clinics.
Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Tamura said at a meeting on the 9th that the number of clinics designated so far was "not enough reports from so many prefectures at the beginning of October, but it is not enough. "Of course, some medical institutions will not be able to handle it, but I would like the prefectures to be prepared to fully inspect fever patients."
The clinic that decided to accept
Clinics around the world are forced to decide whether to accept patients suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, but there are various responses.
Of these, the internal medicine clinic in Tokyo has decided to accept patients in their home area from this month to perform medical examinations and PCR tests.
You will be designated as a "medical care / examination medical institution" by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
In order to avoid a flood of reservations from other areas, we responded to the interview on the condition that the name of the clinic was not given.
The clinic provides necessary supplies such as PCR test kits to collect saliva, goggles worn by doctors and reception staff, disposable gowns, and hair caps.
Furthermore, as facilities and space are limited, we are making every possible effort.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare requires that patients with suspected infections not come into contact with general patients by taking separate routes in the hospital or by dividing the time of consultation, but this clinic is calling for measures to be taken. Then, it is a policy to take both measures and take double measures.
Patients who are suspected of being infected will be examined twice in the morning and in the afternoon after the usual examinations have been completed and all the general patients have returned. You will be guided to a dedicated space partitioned by partitions.
Only one patient suspected of being infected can enter the dedicated space so that there is no contact between patients.
In addition, instead of inviting patients to the office, doctors and staff will visit the site to see them.
The director of the clinic commented on the reason for deciding to accept the patient, saying, "Accepting patients suspected of being infected is a risk, and it will not be a positive from a purely management perspective, but the number of infected patients will increase in the future. If so, I thought it was necessary for the local clinic to take care of it. "
On top of that, he said, "There are some parts that you can't understand until you try what problems you will have when you do what you have done at the health center at the clinic level. Take the maximum infection prevention measures you can do now, and there are problems. Every time it comes out, we have to improve it and make trial and error. "
Some clinics are worried about acceptance
On the other hand, many clinics are worried about accepting patients with suspected infection.
The Kijima Internal Medicine Clinic, located in a residential area in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, has been in charge of community medicine as a "family doctor" for over 40 years, so we believe that we have a responsibility to accept patients suspected of being infected.
We ordered application documents for PCR testing in accordance with national policy and filled them out halfway.
However, in the unlikely event that an infection occurs in the clinic, I am still unable to submit it.
Due to the structure of the clinic, it is not possible to separate the routes that patients with suspected infection and general patients take.
We also considered setting up a tent in an outdoor vacant lot, but we find it difficult to gain the understanding of the people living around us.
We are considering ways to divide the time after the general outpatient department is over, but it is not easy to secure enough staff to handle overtime.
Dr. Fujio Kijima said, "Since there are many elderly patients, I am most worried that there should be no risk of infection. On the other hand, I am very confused because I have a responsibility to accept patients as a person in charge." I'm talking.
Dr. Kijima, who is also the former chairman of the Shinjuku Medical Association, said, "It would be desirable to set up a place in each area where doctors can inspect, not in a clinic, but in a large park, where doctors from the clinic go on a business trip. I propose.