Last Sunday, I went to a Field Day for adult foreigners in Japan. Craziness and fun ensued. The next day, muscle pain ensued. I was planning on having a nice, relaxing day of sleep. And that's when it started.
I know, I know, you're sick of elections already. After all, you've been hearing the campaigning for two years now. But I'll be complaining about Japanese elections, not American ones. The good thing about Japanese elections is that they are almost literally called one week and held the next. The bad thing about Japanese elections is the week between when they're called and when they're held.
The Japanese way of campaigning is quite different from the American one. There aren't a lot of expensive tv ads or the like (with only one week, it's kind of hard to make, schedule, and air them), so in order to get attention, they turn to the airwaves. No, not radio. Actual honest-to-God airwaves. They drive around in cars with gigantic speakers attached to the top and blare out campaign slogans. All day. For 7 days. At maximum volume. And lucky for me, this year, there are 23 candidates up for various elected positions, which means I get to hear 23 different people drive by and say, "Thank you, please vote for me!" All day. From 7:30am to 8pm.
So these 23 candidates all get jackets that are a bright, annoying colors, paint a car with their name and various slogans, then get 4 of their friends to drive around with them, then wave with white gloves (not kidding, they all wear white gloves) at passerby as they drive around the city. With 23 candidates and a small city, they sometimes cross paths, double the noise pollution. Invariably, one candidate will apologize and drive away, which everyone appreciates because by that point, all the china is shaking on the shelves. I always think better of the person who drives away. If I were running a campaign, that would be my strategy. I would drive around until I found another campaign vehicle, then act like the bigger person, apologize, and leave. Everyone would love me because they wouldn't hear from me.
Another annoying thing about these campaign cars is that they drive slow. And we're not talking, "5 or 10 miles under the speed limit" slow. We're talking, "Whoa, did that old lady with the walker just pass me?" slow. And they randomly stop completely so they can wave more vigorously at the old guy on his bike who is doing his best to completely ignore them. This just incites them to wave harder and crank up the volume on their speakers. Eventually, the old guy will acknowledge them just to get them to go away, and then the car will drive off, happily assured of having lost another 10 votes (the old guy plus the 9 cars that are backed up behind them whose drivers are now all angry and late for work). Again, if I was running for election, I'd go speed through the city at 80 miles an hour. Everyone would love me because I wouldn't be backing up traffic AND they could drive just behind me at 78 miles an hour and not have to worry about getting pulled over first!
Unfortunately, I can't even vote in Japan, let alone run for office. Ah, well. Fortunately, the elections are tomorrow, so I don't have to listen to this noise polution that much longer. I just have to worry about the motorcycle gang that's started to hang out near my train station. Most annoying thing in the world. I was tired on Sunday because of the exercise Saturday and the nonstop campaigning. I was finally ready to go to sleep Sunday night when the biker gang started to get feisty. I think they must not like the elections, either. I never thought I'd have anything in common with a biker gang, but there you go.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
In the Headlines
I'm typing up another post as we speak, but for now I thought I'd post 2 articles detailing why I fear Japanese medical services.
Todai hospital also turned new mom away
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A pregnant woman who died of a brain hemorrhage after being refused emergency care by seven Tokyo hospitals also was refused admittance to Tokyo University Hospital, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The woman, 36, died three days after giving birth by emergency cesarean section and undergoing surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage at Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, earlier this month.
Despite Tokyo University Hospital, in the capital's Bunkyo Ward, being designated as equivalent to a tertiary emergency medical facility for the treatment for critical patients, it said it refused to admit the woman because all the beds in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were occupied.
Observers have noted that this situation again shows up insufficiencies in the nation's emergency care system.
The woman's regular doctor at the Gonohashi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, a clinic in Koto Ward the woman visited regularly during her pregnancy, called seven hospitals on the evening of Oct. 4 to request they admit her. They all turned down the request.
The reasons cited included: "All the intensive care beds are full," and "The obstetrician is busy handling the delivery of a child."
According to the Gonohashi doctor and staff at the university hospital, the woman had complained of a headache and nausea while being transported in a Tokyo Fire Department ambulance. Believing she would be admitted by Tokyo University Hospital, her doctor and ambulance crew decided to try to have her accepted there.
When staff at the university hospital heard of the woman's condition, they decided the child would have to be admitted to its NICU following his or her birth. But all nine beds in the unit were reportedly full, so woman was refused admission.
The woman was taken to Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital, one of the facilities that had initially turned her away. She underwent a cesarean section at about 9:30 p.m., and had cerebral hemorrhage surgery at about 10 p.m. The child reportedly remains in good health, but the mother died three days later.
The sad thing is that this is not at all uncommon. I think I wrote this in an earlier post, but I'll write it again for emphasis. I had a friend in Japan who had appendicitis. She was turned away by 2 hospitals before her appendix burst and she was finally admitted by a third hospital.
Here's a new and innovative idea from a newspaper contributor.
Obstetrics, emergency depts must cooperate
Makiko Tatebayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
In order to avoid a situation in which patients in need of emergency care are turned away by a succession of hospitals, improvements to the emergency treatment system must be made to ensure that key hospitals are able to accept patients around-the-clock.
Earlier this month, a pregnant woman suffered a brain hemorrhage and died after being refused by seven hospitals. Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, initially refused a request to admit the woman, but later accepted her when it was contacted again, which prompts the question: Why did the hospital fail to swiftly admit the woman the first time?
Two years ago, a pregnant woman in Nara Prefecture died after being refused treatment from 19 hospitals. That woman also suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Now, I don't know a whole lot about hospitals in America, but I do know that I've never been worried about being turned away from a hospital there. In America, my home city hospital is willing to admit anyone, and within thirty minutes you can be assured, regardless of age, gender, or sexual preference, of being told that you pregnant. Mind you, it may not be the BEST medical care, but it IS always available. In Japan, there's just no guarantee that you'll even get in the hospital. If you get a horrible, festering wound in Japan, it's probably best just to go to the school nurse, who will sneeze on it and then but a bandaid over it. Seriously, it's no wonder people here live to be 1,000. They either die young or acquire an immunity to everything, including death.
Todai hospital also turned new mom away
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A pregnant woman who died of a brain hemorrhage after being refused emergency care by seven Tokyo hospitals also was refused admittance to Tokyo University Hospital, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The woman, 36, died three days after giving birth by emergency cesarean section and undergoing surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage at Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, earlier this month.
Despite Tokyo University Hospital, in the capital's Bunkyo Ward, being designated as equivalent to a tertiary emergency medical facility for the treatment for critical patients, it said it refused to admit the woman because all the beds in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were occupied.
Observers have noted that this situation again shows up insufficiencies in the nation's emergency care system.
The woman's regular doctor at the Gonohashi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, a clinic in Koto Ward the woman visited regularly during her pregnancy, called seven hospitals on the evening of Oct. 4 to request they admit her. They all turned down the request.
The reasons cited included: "All the intensive care beds are full," and "The obstetrician is busy handling the delivery of a child."
According to the Gonohashi doctor and staff at the university hospital, the woman had complained of a headache and nausea while being transported in a Tokyo Fire Department ambulance. Believing she would be admitted by Tokyo University Hospital, her doctor and ambulance crew decided to try to have her accepted there.
When staff at the university hospital heard of the woman's condition, they decided the child would have to be admitted to its NICU following his or her birth. But all nine beds in the unit were reportedly full, so woman was refused admission.
The woman was taken to Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital, one of the facilities that had initially turned her away. She underwent a cesarean section at about 9:30 p.m., and had cerebral hemorrhage surgery at about 10 p.m. The child reportedly remains in good health, but the mother died three days later.
The sad thing is that this is not at all uncommon. I think I wrote this in an earlier post, but I'll write it again for emphasis. I had a friend in Japan who had appendicitis. She was turned away by 2 hospitals before her appendix burst and she was finally admitted by a third hospital.
Here's a new and innovative idea from a newspaper contributor.
Obstetrics, emergency depts must cooperate
Makiko Tatebayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
In order to avoid a situation in which patients in need of emergency care are turned away by a succession of hospitals, improvements to the emergency treatment system must be made to ensure that key hospitals are able to accept patients around-the-clock.
Earlier this month, a pregnant woman suffered a brain hemorrhage and died after being refused by seven hospitals. Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, initially refused a request to admit the woman, but later accepted her when it was contacted again, which prompts the question: Why did the hospital fail to swiftly admit the woman the first time?
Two years ago, a pregnant woman in Nara Prefecture died after being refused treatment from 19 hospitals. That woman also suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Now, I don't know a whole lot about hospitals in America, but I do know that I've never been worried about being turned away from a hospital there. In America, my home city hospital is willing to admit anyone, and within thirty minutes you can be assured, regardless of age, gender, or sexual preference, of being told that you pregnant. Mind you, it may not be the BEST medical care, but it IS always available. In Japan, there's just no guarantee that you'll even get in the hospital. If you get a horrible, festering wound in Japan, it's probably best just to go to the school nurse, who will sneeze on it and then but a bandaid over it. Seriously, it's no wonder people here live to be 1,000. They either die young or acquire an immunity to everything, including death.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)