Transforming the karma of rural areas: Home Medical Care x Community Empowerment

A rural farming and fishing village belonging to the city of Seiyo-shi in the west of Japan near Akehamacho, the village of Tawarazu has a population of less than 1300 people, 40% of which is elderly. A few years ago, government-funded rural health clinics were confronted with severe financial shortages and on the verge of closing down, triggering villagers’ fears that they would be left without medical treatment. Originally running at an annual deficit of 30 million Japanese yen, Doctor Yasunori Nagai took over the running of these clinics, turning them into an operation with an annual surplus of 10 million yen.  
Originally, prior to opening his clinic (from 1996 to 2000), Doctor Yasunori Nagai worked in one of these government-funded rural health clinics, where one-third of the village population was approaching the end of their life. Fortunately, with the assistance of Doctor Yasunori Nagai, they were able to spend their remaining days at home.

In addition to this, during his student years he was actively involved in a program to provide medical care to villages without clinics. The experience he gained during his student years working in rural areas, studying in the larger community medical center of Jichi Medical University, and his later participation in rural health clinics, laid a strong foundation.

Doctor Yasunori Nagai has upgraded old equipment, introducing new X-ray machines and hand-held ultrasound equipment, vastly improving the function of these rural health clinics. Moreover, he invites orthopedic surgeons to come once a month from Tawara Tianjin, ensuring that common bone and joint ailments receive proper treatment. 

Transforming the karma of rural areas: Home Medical Care x Community Empowerment

URL: https://www.peopo.org/news/278339

(Rural Clinic: http://www.tawarazu.net/ )
(Doctor Yasunori Nagai: http://www.drtampopo.jp/)

(以下是中文對照)

翻轉偏鄉的宿命：在宅醫療x社區營造

照片

俵津村，屬於日本西予市明浜町，是以農漁業為主的鄉村，人口不到1300人，高齡人口超過40%。幾年前當地國保診所(註：國保診所：日本政府在偏鄉設立的公立診所)面臨嚴重赤字，即將面臨倒閉，村民憂心沒有醫生可以看病，直到永井康德醫師接手俵津診所之後，從每年虧損三千萬日幣，到每年盈餘一千萬日幣。

原來，永井醫師在開業之前(1996年到2000年)，曾經在國保診所時代的俵津診所工作，當時村子裡的人，有三分之一的人到了病情末期，接受永井醫師的協助，可以在家迎接死亡。除此之外，學生時代他積極參與無醫村公衛診療，學生時代在偏鄉的經驗，和畢業之後未來投入自治醫科大地域醫療研修，以及後來到偏鄉國保診所服務，奠定基礎。永井醫師也改善老舊設備，導入新的X-光機和手持式超音波，提升俵津診所的功能，並邀請骨科醫師每月來一次俵津，偏鄉常見骨關節疾病，可以得到更正確醫治。