| Theme |
The Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake and Dialysis Therapy |
| Title |
Great East Japan Earthquake disaster and dialysis care |
| Author |
Naoki Kimata |
Department of Blood Purification, Tokyo Women's Medical University |
| Author |
Hiroaki Shimmura |
Tokiwa Group Joban Hospital |
| Author |
Isamu Ishimori |
Department of Clinical Engineering, Tokyo Women's Medical University |
| [ Summary ] |
We report on how dialysis patients in the city of Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture and the surrounding district and how they were severely impacted by a quake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant crisis. Many of these patients were evacuated to Tokyo to continue their medical treatment.
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the northeast mainland of Japan on March 11. In the affected areas, essential services such as water and electricity were largely destroyed. In such circumstances hemodialysis therapy is extremely difficult. The Dialysis Center in Iwaki town did not collapse. However, essential services such as water and electricity was seriously damaged and put out of action, making it necessary to move 600 patients who were receiving regular dialysis treatment to the surrounding available facilities to continue treatment. The transfer of 600 hemodialysis patients was an unprecedented event. The exodus to Tokyo was coordinated by the Tokyo Ward Disaster Dialysis Medical Network. The Japanese association of dialysis physicians provided bus transportation for 405 dialysis patients and 49 medical staff members who accompanied patients on the bus ride. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government arranged for patients and their families to stay in two locations within the city. The patients were dispersed in 80 hemodialysis facilities and received hemodialysis treatment. All except eight inpatients, returned to the city of Iwaki on April 25th. |