Japan's emergency officials say their latest records show that emergency responders are still struggling to find hospitals that can accept patients.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency records the number of what it calls "difficult transport cases" from emergency headquarters across Japan every week. They involve emergency responders having to ask four or more hospitals before a patient can be transported.
The agency said there were 5,519 such cases in the week through Sunday. That is down 479 from the week before, and a drop for the second straight week.
But the latest figure is about five times that of the same week three years ago, before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The agency says the data show that the situation remains harsh.
About 20 percent, or 1,203 of the cases involved suspected COVID-19 patients.
The agency said suspected COVID cases were relatively low, but the impact of difficult transport cases appears to be spreading to people who need medical attention for other diseases or snow-related accidents.
It reiterated its call on people to use ambulances appropriately.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency records the number of what it calls "difficult transport cases" from emergency headquarters across Japan every week. They involve emergency responders having to ask four or more hospitals before a patient can be transported.
The agency said there were 5,519 such cases in the week through Sunday. That is down 479 from the week before, and a drop for the second straight week.
But the latest figure is about five times that of the same week three years ago, before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The agency says the data show that the situation remains harsh.
About 20 percent, or 1,203 of the cases involved suspected COVID-19 patients.
The agency said suspected COVID cases were relatively low, but the impact of difficult transport cases appears to be spreading to people who need medical attention for other diseases or snow-related accidents.
It reiterated its call on people to use ambulances appropriately.
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Summary
Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency reports a rise in "difficult transport cases" for emergency patients, with responders often needing to ask four or more hospitals before a patient can be admitted. In the week ending Sunday, there were 5,519 such cases, down slightly from the previous
Statistics
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ID: c39ea2be-1a6f-4cde-b17f-b57da998839b
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230131_34/
Date: Jan. 31, 2023
Created: 2023/02/01 07:27
Updated: 2025/12/09 08:02
Last Read: 2023/02/01 07:39