1. Severe heart disease children in Japan have died while waiting for transplants due to a lack of access to mechanical blood pumps (VADs).
2. VADs, which assist the heart's function and pump blood, are mainly used for children with advanced cardiac disease. The number of these devices in Japan has been increasing but each costs approximately 40 million yen (257,000 USD) and must be replaced every 10 years.
3. Some hospitals, facing financial difficulties, have reduced the number of VADs, with six hospitals interviewed stating they have no prospect of purchasing replacement devices. The president of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery has expressed concern about the situation and will urge the government and hospitals to ensure an adequate supply.