| [ Summary ] |
Measures to deal with natural disasters in relation to hemodialysis began after the Miyagi-oki earthquake (1978). After the Kobe earthquake (1995), the expansion of those measures continued. After that time, we did not have any opportunity to test those measures until we experienced the Tokachi-oki earthquake (2003), the Niigataken Cyuetsu earthquake (2004), and Fukuokaken seihou-oki earthquake (2005). In the process of dealing with those earthquakes, we were able to verify the usefulness of many measures to deal with natural disasters. From these many experiences, it was deemed that we could deal with natural disasters sufficiently. However, disasters only happened in small areas. We could not deal adequately with disasters happening in a major metropolitan area, such as the type of earthquake which might occur in or near the national capital. It is thought that we can do many things to decrease disaster damage. Hemodialysis, disaster measures already developed should be implimented at hemodialysis institutions. Those measures of dealing with disasters include the caster free method for beds and monitors, a fixing method for the RO and hemodialysis solution feeders, and information transmission for locating patients. It is important that the amount of overall damage be reduced by means of reducing individual damage cases. If we implement these measures fully, we can reduce cases where we say: “too many suffering patients we can not deal with” ; however this is the characteristic of disasters in a megalopolis, which we must somehow deal with. |