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Medical Care in Iriomote Island
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Is there a hospital in the tourist resort "Iriomote Island"?
Happenings are bound to occur on a trip. Especially on a trip to Iriomote Island, where there are plenty of activities, you may get injured even if you are very careful. Also, you may get sick because the environment is different from that of the mainland.
Iriomote Island is known as a rich island with 90% of its land unexplored and nature existing as it is, but is there a hospital that can be rushed to in case of emergency?
Conclusion, there is none. There is no hospital in Taketomi Town, which has Yaeyama Islands other than Ishigaki Island.
Then, do people living on Iriomote Island not go to the hospital when they get sick?
No, it is not. In fact, there is no hospital, but instead there is a clinic.
Legally, there is a distinct difference between these two medical institutions.
Medical institutions with 20 or more beds for patients are called hospitals, while those with less than 19 beds are called clinics.
Hospitals are suitable for inpatient care, as most severely ill patients requiring highly specialized and skilled medical care require hospitalization. On the other hand, clinics have fewer inpatient beds, making them suitable for outpatient-centered medical care, and they also play the role of "family doctor.
Local residents also go to the island's clinic for minor illnesses, but for more serious ones, they find themselves traveling off-island.
Clinic in Iriomote Island
Then, what kind of clinics are there in Iriomote Island?
There are two clinics on Iriomote Island: Ohara Clinic and Iriomote West Clinic.
Iriomote Island is the largest island in Taketomi Town in terms of area and has the largest number of islanders, and the islanders are divided into two major groups, living in the eastern and western parts.
This may be why the clinic I mentioned earlier is divided into one in the eastern and one in the western part of the city.
Click here for more information on each of the clinics.
～Ohara Clinic
Hospital located in the eastern part of Iriomote Island
Access: 201-131, Aza-Nanpumi, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa, Japan
Phone number: 0980-85-5516
Reception hours: 8:30 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30
Closed: Wednesday afternoon (closed for home visits), Saturday, Sunday, Holidays
Specialty: Primary care of all departments
Medical facilities: Various blood tests, electrocardiography, radiography, abdominal ultrasonography
Medical treatment system: 1 doctor, 1 nurse
Treatment Area : Toyohara, Ohara, Otomi, Komi, Mihara, Takana
~ Western Iriomote Clinic~.
Hospital located in the western part of Iriomote Island
Access: 694 Aza Iriomote, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa, Japan
Phone number: 0980-85-6249
Reception hours: 8:30 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30
Closed: Tuesday afternoon (closed for home visits), Thursday afternoon (Hatoma patrol and nursing home care), Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays
Specialty: All departments
Medical facilities: X-rays, echo, electrocardiogram, defibrillator, simple blood test
Medical treatment system: 1 doctor, 1 nurse, and 1 office staff
Medical treatment area : All of western Iriomote Island, Hatoma Island
Clinic Features
Even though it is smaller than a hospital, it is still a fine medical institution. It is nice for the islanders to be able to see all of their medical services, even though there are not many medical facilities in the area!
All islanders, from aunts and uncles to children, can be diagnosed with any condition.
The islanders can rest assured that a wide range of medical care is available, including internal medicine, surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, and dermatology.
Hospitals in the mainland mainly specialize in certain departments, such as otolaryngology or internal medicine, but it is truly amazing that a single doctor can cover all of these areas. He is truly a walking comprehensive medical institution.
(1) Close proximity between doctors and islanders
With two doctors for approximately 1,500 islanders, they must be very busy.
However, the island doctors are very attentive and examine each islander individually.
They are able to take good care of you while also taking care of your emotional needs with previous hospital visits and various topics unrelated to your hospital visit.
I can't stop thinking about the island doctors who support all generations of islanders on a daily basis so that they can live in peace.
(2) What the clinic on Iriomote Island cannot do.
The Iriomote Island clinic is able to provide care for all medical conditions, but there are some things it is not able to do.
First, as explained above, the number of inpatient beds is smaller than in hospitals. Therefore, we cannot handle large numbers of inpatients.
Other than the chest, there are no other x-rays or detailed examinations as in larger hospitals. As a result, it is not possible to perform surgical procedures on critically ill patients or those requiring advanced skills.
Cases that cannot be handled at the clinic on Iriomote Island must go to the hospital on Ishigaki Island.
Since the number of ferries is limited, a helicopter from Ishigaki Island will come from the medical heliport to transport the patient if the situation is urgent.
Hospitals and clinics between Iriomotejima and Ishigakijima
The five islands of Taketomi Town have the following six clinics instead of no hospitals.
Iriomote Island (2 cases), Kohama Island, Hateruma Island: Clinics affiliated with Yaeyama Prefectural Hospital
Taketomi Island, Kuroshima: Town-run clinic
Among Taketomi Island, Hatoma Island and Aragusuku Island do not have medical facilities, so as mentioned above, Hatoma Island is taken care of by Iriomote West Clinic and Aragusuku Island by Ohara Clinic.
Precautions before receiving medical treatment
Observe the rules of visiting the hospital during office hours.
As mentioned above, resources are limited, with only a few doctors for every several thousand islanders. With such a serious human resource problem, both doctors and nurses are exhausted when trying to provide medical care for non-urgent conditions outside of office hours.
As a result, it is possible that patients who should be seen cannot be seen.
Therefore, the following two points should be kept in mind when visiting a clinic.
See a doctor during office hours
For emergencies at night and on weekends and holidays, call 119.
See a doctor during office hours!
As mentioned above, clinics on Iriomote Island are staffed by one doctor and one nurse, and it is not always possible to have a doctor or nurse on call at night or on weekends and holidays, as it is physically impossible to provide 24-hour service.
Many islanders are very understanding because they are regular visitors to the island, but unfortunately tourists are not aware of this and often ask for after-hours care for even minor symptoms.
We should be concerned about our precious island doctors, but regrettably, the following emergency measures will be taken in the summer of 2019.
Ohara Clinic is available at night on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Western Clinic is available on Thursdays and Fridays at night.
Emergency transportation to medical facilities will be handled by the fire brigades of the western and eastern regions respectively.
Doctors, nurses, and Iriomote Island residents all support Iriomote Island medical care. Therefore, those who go there for sightseeing are requested to visit the reception desk during the clinic hours unless you have an emergency.
Before that, make sure to stay healthy to enjoy your trip to Iriomote Island.
How to stay healthy in Iriomote Island
Staying healthy is important for yourself to enjoy your trip to the fullest, and for the doctors, nurses, and islanders who support island medicine.
Let's spend your life in Iriomote Island by paying attention to the following points.
(1) Consider canceling the trip if you are not feeling well.
(2) Follow the rules when participating in activities
(iii) Never take anything too far.
in the end
We introduced medical care in Iriomote Island. How was it?
I was amazed that one doctor could handle nearly 1,500 islanders.
We also hope that you now understand that the entire island supports medical care, including after-hours services.
When sightseeing, try to stay in good health for your own sake and for the sake of the Iriomote Islanders.
We hope we can help you have the best trip possible!
Thank you for reading to the end.
This article was written by.
