Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T18:08:32.740Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Japan Medical Association's Disaster Preparedness: Lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2013

Masami Ishii  and
Takashi Nagata
Masami Ishii
Affiliation:
Japan Medical Association, Tokyo
Takashi Nagata*
Affiliation:
Department of Advanced Medical Initiatives, Kyushu University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan. Dr Nagata is currently visiting researcher, Japan Medical Association Research Institute, Japan Medical Association, Tokyo
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Takashi Nagata, MD, Assistant Professor, Kyushu University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Advanced Medical Initiatives, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan (e-mail [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A complex disaster, the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, consisted of a large-scale earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, resulting in more than 15 000 fatalities, injuries, and missing persons and damage over a 500-km area. The entire Japanese public was profoundly affected by “3/11.” The risk of radiation exposure initially delayed the medical response, prolonging the recovery efforts. Japan's representative medical organization, the Japan Medical Association (JMA), began dispatching Japan Medical Association Teams (JMATs) to affected areas beginning March 15, 2011. About 1400 JMATs comprising nearly 5500 health workers were launched. The JMA coordinated JMAT operations and cooperated in conducting postmortem examination, transporting large quantities of medical supplies, and establishing a multiorganizational council to provide health assistance to disaster survivors. Importantly, these response efforts contributed to the complete recovery of the health care system in affected areas within 3 months, and by July 15, 2011, JMATs were withdrawn. Subsequently, JMATs II have been providing long-term continuing medical support to disaster-affected areas. However, Japan is at great risk for future natural disasters because of its Pacific Rim location. Also, its rapidly aging population, uneven distribution of and shortage of medical resources in regional communities, and an overburdened public health insurance system highlight the need for a highly prepared and effective disaster response system. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:507-512)

Keywords

JMATJMAdisaster preparednessGreat East Japan EarthquakePacific Rim
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 5 , October 2013 , pp. 507 - 512
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.National Police Agency of Japan. Damage Situation and Police Countermeasures for the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Tokyo, Japan; April 10, 2013. [in Japanese]. http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/biki/higaijokyo.pdf. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
2.Ishii, M. Fukushima nuclear power plant accidents caused by gigantic earthquake and tsunami—healthcare support for radiation exposure. World Med J. 2011;57:141-144.Google Scholar
3.Ishii, M, Hamamoto, M, Tsuruoka, H. JMA perspectives on the universal health insurance system in Japan. Japan Med Assoc J. 2010;53:139-143.Google Scholar
4.Ishii, M, Hayashi, N. Worker's accident compensation insurance and compulsory automobile liability insurance in Japanese public medical insurance system. Japan Med Assoc J. 2010;53:267-272.Google Scholar
5.Japan: Universal Health Care at 50 Years. New York, New York: The Lancet; August 30, 2011. www.thelancet.com/japan. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
6.Health Data 2012. Paris, France: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); June 28, 2012. http://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/oecdhealthdata2012.htm. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
7.Population Projections for Japan (January 2012): 2011 to 2060. Tokyo, Japan: The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. http://www.ipss.go.jp/site-ad/index_english/esuikei/ppfj2012.pdf. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
8. The media report on April 8, 2013 [in Japanese]. Tokyo, Japan: Fire and Disaster Management Agency. http://www.fdma.go.jp/. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
9. An overview of regular dialysis treatment in Japan of Dec. 31, 2011. Tokyo, Japan: Renal Data Registry Committee, Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy. http://www.jsdt.or.jp/overview_confirm.html. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
10.Fujita, Y, Inoue, K, Seki, N, etal. The need for measures to prevent “solitary deaths” after large earthquakes—based on current conditions following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. J Forensic Leg Med. 2008;15:527-528.Google Scholar
11. The Survey of the Membership for Japanese Physicians in 2012. Tokyo, Japan: Japan Medical Association. http://dl.med.or.jp/dl-med/kinmu/bukai24.pdf. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
12.Collier, R. American Medical Association membership woes continue. CMAJ. 2011;183:713-714.Google Scholar
13. WMA Declaration of Seoul on Professional Autonomy and Clinical Independence. Ferney-Voltaire, France: World Medical Association; 2008. http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/a30/. Accessed April 25, 2013.Google Scholar
14.Tsuji, Y. Mechanism of the occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis. Japan Med Assoc J. 2007;50:55-71.Google Scholar
15.Yamamoto, Y. Disaster management in the acute phase. Japan Med Assoc J. 2007;50:72-79.Google Scholar
16.Chun, SD. The experiences from KMA's recent activities. Japan Med Assoc J. 2007;50:80-88.Google Scholar
17. The medical response toward Japan Airline 123 crash [in Japanese]. Gunma, Japan: Gunma Medical Association. 1986.Google Scholar
18.Ishii, N, Nakayama, S. Emergency medical care following the great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake: practices and proposals (a report from a university hospital located in the damaged region). Kobe J Med Sci. 1996;42:173-186.Google Scholar
19.Tanaka, K. The Kobe earthquake: the system response: a disaster report from Japan. Eur J Emerg Med. 1996;3:263-269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Kirizuka, K, Nishizaki, H, Kohriyama, K, etal. Influences of The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on glycemic control in diabetic patients. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. Jun 1997;36(3):193-196.Google Scholar
21.Saito, K, Kim, JI, Maekawa, K, Ikeda, Y, Yokoyama, M. The great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake aggravates blood pressure control in treated hypertensive patients. Am J Hypertens. 1997;10(2):217-221.Google Scholar
22.Shinfuku, N. Disaster mental health: lessons learned from the Hanshin Awaji earthquake. World Psychiatry. 2002;1(3):158-159.Google Scholar
23.Bloodworth, DM, Kevorkian, CG, Rumbaut, E, Chiou-Tan, FY. Impairment and disability in the Astrodome after hurricane Katrina: lessons learned about the needs of the disabled after large population movements. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2007;86:770-775.Google Scholar
24.Klein, KR, Nagel, NE. Mass medical evacuation: Hurricane Katrina and nursing experiences at the New Orleans airport. Disaster Manag Response. 2007;5:56-61.Google Scholar
25.Dosa, D, Hyer, K, Thomas, K, etal. To evacuate or shelter in place: implications of universal hurricane evacuation policies on nursing home residents. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2012;13(2):190.Google Scholar
26.Coule, PL, Schwartz, RB. The national disaster life support programs: a model for competency-based standardized and locally relevant training. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2009;15(suppl 2):S25-S30.Google Scholar
27.Kondo, H, Koido, Y, Morino, K, etal. Establishing disaster medical assistance teams in Japan. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24:556-564.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28.Nagamatsu, S, Maekawa, T, Ujike, Y, etal. Japanese Society of Intensive Care M. the earthquake and tsunami--observations by Japanese physicians since the 11 March catastrophe. Crit Care. 2011;15(3):157.Google Scholar
29.Ishii, M. Japan Medical Association Team's (JMATs) first operation: responding to the great eastern Japan earthquake. World Med J. 2011;57(4):131-140.Google Scholar
30.Ishii, M. Japan Medical Association Team's (JMAT) first call to action in the great eastern Japan earthquake. Japan Med Assoc J. 2011;54:144-154.Google Scholar
31.Fackler, M. Radiation fears and distrust push thousands from homes. New York, New York: New York Times; March 17, 2011.Google Scholar
32.Onishi, N, Fackler, M. In nuclear crisis, crippling mistrust. New York, New York: NewYork Times; June 12, 2011.Google Scholar
33.Nagata, T, Kimura, Y, Ishii, M. Use of a geographic information system (GIS) in the medical response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27:213-215.Google Scholar
34.Research on the Compensation for the Damage Caused by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Incident and Its Disaster Recovery [in Japanese]. Tokyo, Japan: Japan Medical Association Research Institute; April 2012.Google Scholar