By Ayami Kanazawa

This August I was diagnosed with acute pneumonia because of a complicated cold while on a trip. I decided to go back to my home in Ebetsu for a while and go to the hospital there. The next day I went to Ebetsu City Hospital. Many notices were posted at the entrance of the hospital. These notices were about the resignation of doctors and the cancellation of examinations.

I didn't know what happened. I tried to see a doctor, but the receptionist said I couldn't see a doctor because the doctors stopped seeing new patients in August. When I explained my symptoms, I was permitted to see a doctor on condition that I stay in a different hospital if needed. Fortunately, I could stay in the Ebetsu City Hospital because the hospital had a vacancy. I wondered why Ebetsu citizens couldn't see the doctors at Ebetsu City Hospital.

In September, the news that all physicians of Ebetsu City Hospital would resign in October went around like wild fire. The causes of the trouble were the harsh working conditions at the night clinic and a conflict with the change of the hospital director.

The night clinic in Ebetsu is different from other night clinics in Hokkaido because its doctors treat out patients, but　more difficult cases go to Ebetsu City Hospital. Patients from Ebetsu and other towns kept coming, but this system ended on October 1, 2006.

Ebetsu City Hospital doctors were forced to work the night shift after their daytime shifts with outpatients and inpatients. The doctors could only go back home for half a month. They pleaded with the municipality to build a different building for the night clinic four years ago, but their pleas were rejected. The municipality decided hastily to separate the night clinic from Ebetsu City Hospital this April, but it was too late. All full-time doctors decided to resign from the Hospital.

The hospital director's transfer caused another problem. This spring, the director, who is also a physician, resigned. The Department of Internal Medicine of Hokkaido University Hospital, which supplies Ebetsu City Hospital with all its physicians, nominated a physician as the new director. However, the municipality unofficially decided on a surgeon as the new director.

As a result, the relationship between the city and Hokkaido University Hospital deteriorated. The municipality couldn't stop the doctors' revolt from the night clinic or stop them from opening their own practice or transferring to other hospitals. In addition, many dermatologists, obstetricians and nervous system physicians resigned. The hospitalﾕs profit continues to fall because the number of patients accepted in the internal medicine ward has decreased. The modern hospital that was rebuilt about ten years ago may become empty.

The municipality of Ebetsu City didn't inform citizens−and only informed a part of the city council about this problem−until this September. The municipality apologized, but they didn't give any reasons for the problem because they thought it would give rise to misunderstandings and speculation. They explained repeatedly that the medical office has the authority to secure doctors.

Indeed, to hire many new doctors has become difficult because of the new rules on clinical training. University hospitals have trouble with understaffing, too. It is natural that local hospitals are affected by understaffing at University hospitals. There is nothing that they can do but rely on the medical office.

However, since this is a nation-wide problem, we should continue to criticize Ebetsu City's current ambiguous attitude. Citizens suffer because of this problem. Patients who are diagnosed with mild conditions have to go to other hospitals in Ebetsu or Sapporo with a letter of introduction to a doctor. Not only that, but patients have to pay for the introduction card themselves, even though the hospital is the cause of the problem.

It is unthinkable that people are not allowed to be hospitalized or to receive medical examinations because of a lack of doctors. It is important that the Mayor of Ebetsu and the municipality disclose who is responsible for this problem. However, firstly, citizens and people depend on the Ebetsu City Hospital and want to go back to the environment that they can go to the hospital without anxiety. We want the municipality and the doctors to their best for citizens first, regardless of the circumstances.

By the end of this October, the hoped-for full-time physician was brought In to Ebetsu City Hospital. People can feel more at ease now because he has examinations three times a week. Efforts by Ebetsu City to revive these medical services and recover citizen's trust continues.