A questionnaire survey conducted by NHK that many residents think that old materials that once dissected the bodies of residents at national Hansen's disease sanatoriums nationwide should be preserved in the future. I understand.
On the other hand, the facilities and laws for storing such materials are not well-developed, and experts say, "The country should hurry to build a posture."
Since last year, it has been revealed that records of dissection of the bodies of residents and materials related to sterilization have been left at national Hansen's disease sanatoriums nationwide, but many of them are old. It has been pointed out that if the number of residents decreases and the facility is reduced in the future, it may be discarded because it does not correspond to the "official document" that is required to be preserved by law.
Before June 22, which is set as the day of rehabilitation and mourning for victims due to the former isolation policy, NHK conducted a questionnaire survey to residents' associations nationwide created by residents last month as to what to do with these materials. When I went there, I found that all 11 residents' associations that are still active think that "materials should be preserved in the future."
Six more residents' associations responded that they "feel lacking" in the country's efforts to preserve it.
Professor Emeritus Hirofumi Uchida of Kyushu University, who is familiar with the leprosy problem, said, "It is an indispensable material for verifying what kind of harsh life the residents lived in the country's wrong forced isolation policy. We should listen to the voices of the residents and hurry to create a system for preservation. "
Facility director "Rules for preservation"
Nagashima Aiseien in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, has a sense of crisis in preserving the materials.
At this sanatorium, an "anatomical record" was found last year indicating that residents had been dissected for about 25 years from the early Showa period, and a detailed examination revealed that more than 1800 people had been dissected for the first time in March. It became clear.
In addition, since the sanatorium opened more than 90 years ago, the medical records of all residents have been left, and some of them have been mentioned regarding abortion and sterilization.
The average age of residents is over 87 years old, and by the 11th of this month, 6 people have died, and the number of people living in the facility is decreasing year by year to 123 people.
Director Noriyoshi Yamamoto is worried that if the number of residents decreases and the facility is reduced in the future, the materials will be discarded accordingly.
Director Yamamoto said, "It is in a state where it is decided whether to dispose of it or not at the discretion of the staff at that time. Since it is a national facility, it is necessary to make a unified rule for preservation nationwide." I was talking.
Autonomous Chairman "I want you to leave it as a document of the facts you suffered"
Shinji Nakao (86), who is the chairman of the Nagashima Aiseien Residents' Association, wants us to hurry to discuss how to preserve the materials in order to pass on our experience to the next generation. I will.
Mr. Nakao said, "It is meaningless to cover the smelly things and leave only clean things so that discrimination will not be repeated again. I want you to keep the facts that we suffered as materials." ..