Establishment of a Medical System for Emergency Radiation Exposure (One local city in Japan)

Abstract

Introduction:

Japan is the only country to have experienced the atomic bombings and still has many nuclear power plants. In 2011, a nuclear power plant accident occurred during a major magnitude 9.0 earthquake, and there was a great deal of concern about radiation exposure medicine for the public. It is necessary to provide appropriate radiation exposure medicine.

Method:

The facility is located within the IAEA's UPZ, and in the event of an emergency, it is necessary to provide medical care for a large number of people exposed to radiation, so an advanced radiation exposure medical facility was built in 2015 (the surrounding population is approximately 300,000).

Results:

The basics of radiation exposure medicine are: 1) medical priority, 2) prevention of the spread of radioactive materials, and 3) protection of our responders from radiation exposure. Everything from whole body assessments, contamination examinations due to exposure, medical procedures (including advanced medical procedures), and decontamination were able to be performed. The facility is also equipped with WBC (whole body counter) that can assess internal exposure. A support system for other medical facilities was being developed in the region by forming a team that can respond to radiation exposure.

Conclusion:

With the current system, not only radiation exposure medicine will be handled, but also CBRNE and other such services in the future. For this reason, repeated training and human resource development are very important.