Japan Healthcare Info

As of April 30th, there have been no reports in Japan of patients contracted with the new bird flu.

However, because many people travel overseas during Golden Week, if you have high fever or any suspected symptoms after coming back from your trip to China or Taiwan please consult your local public health center before visiting your local clinic.

Medical institutions that can provide diagnosis and treatment are limited and you are required to visit designated institutions by government.

A new member story is updated for this month.

JHI assisted Sanjay to find a daycare for his daughter in Japan. The process to apply to daycares requires a lot of paperwork and can be very cumbersome. Read how we helped to make his application stress-free.

#3 Sanjay’s Story (Daycare Support)

Our new page featuring JHI member’s stories is updated!
This month’s story is about Allison, we supported her with care for her pregnancy in Japan. Check the right side bar for “Member Stories”.

New stories will be updated each month.

Thanks to popular blog Tech in Asia for a great write up of our service – we thought this summed up JHI’s service very well.

http://www.techinasia.com/japan-healthcare-info-service-expats-travelers/

From September this year, inactivated polio vaccine became widely available at clinics/hospitals in Japan.

Prior to this, only oral polio vaccine was available. However this vaccine is reported to have caused child paralysis as a possible side effect. For this reason, inactivated polio vaccine was considered to be safer, but only available at international or travel clinics.

The Ministry of Health has approved inactivated polio vaccine and also subsidizes the fee for the shots. Your local city hall will mail vaccine coupons which allows you to receive a free shot. For those who have coupons, you should make an appointment with a local pediatric clinic. Please ask us at contact@japanhealthinfo.com if you need more information on locating a clinic.

NHI was available for those holding permit to stay in Japan longer than 1 year. This changed from July 9th – NHI is now available for people who are holding permit less than 1year (except visitor visa or short-term visa holders).

NHI is accepted by most hospitals and clinics all over Japan. Hopefully this will help patients who are staying here less than 1 year to receive insurance-covered care. NHI premiums are often said to be expensive, but people who are staying in Japan  less than 1 year are recommended to check how much you are paying for private medical insurance and compare the premiums you need to pay to join NHI.

To join, please visit NHI section of your local ward office or city hall.

JHI is currently looking for an intern who can help us with our daily administrative or PR tasks. Although it is a volunteer work, interested applicants can learn and assist various healthcare needs of international people in Japan. The main task will be administrative and no specific healthcare degree is required. Those who like doing PR job using Facebook are very welcome!
To apply, send a message to contact@japanhealthinfo.com

An article on Pediatric emergency – how to locate help and what to prepare is live on Gaijinpot “Living in Japan section”. The featured story is based on a true story from our client…a bit scary?

http://injapan.gaijinpot.com/live/health-and-fitness/2012/06/13/pediatric-emergency-services-in-japan-how-to-locate-help-and-what-to-prepare/

JHI is featured in this week’s Metropolis magazine – it’s out today. I must say I was really excited when Metropolis called JHI! Good article, short and clear – describing the essence of our services.

We occasionally receive requests for a list of all hospitals with English-speaking doctors on staff. Even though it might seem easier on the surface, there are actually a number of reasons by JHI chooses not to publish such a list:

1. The availability of English-speaking doctors changes frequently at some hospitals and clinics
   This is very common due to the shortage of staff and the doctors’ schedules.
2. Not all doctors at an international hospital are necessarily able to speak English
   Some hospitals use the word “International” in their name, but for many, this is in name only.
3. Depending on the doctor’s English level and the condition of the patient, he or she might not be able to provide the best treatment for the patient
   When JHI coordinates doctor visits, we are often asked about the patient’s condition. At some health facilities, a simple case such as the flu will be accepted. But when presented with more complicated issues, such as a chronic disease or a condition that requires complex care, many say, “English is not available in this case.”
4. If a hospital or clinic is constantly busy, they may not be welcoming to patients who can’t speak Japanese
   Because of the extra time it takes to communicate in a foreign language; English-speaking patients are not always welcome.
5. Japan has no General Practitioners  so  you need to visit a specialist who can treat your symptoms
   You might find what seems like a conveniently located, English-speaking clinic. However, if it your issue is not the doctor’s specialty, they won’t be able to provide care for you.

JHI staff always takes our clients’ needs into consideration, and check with hospitals and clinics to ensure they can really provide the care needed. It may seem troublesome to send us a message or call our office to receive information, but in fact it is much quicker than reading over a list and wasting time visiting the wrong doctor!