Japan's ailing healthcare system - 04 Mar 2009

[ntn1987]

That's socialised medicine for ya!

[AmaruRuna]

@ntn1987

Did you went to Japan?

ANd for your envy I just come from the dentist and guess what I payed only 5 DOLLARS, while you imbecile, dreaming in a ideological wonderland, insurance and doctors are ripping you off with hundreds of dollars and extra payments for the same treatment.

I don't give a crap if socialized of capitalised medicine, the system WORKS VERY WELL, you stupid moron.

Go back and keep fattening yourself and your medical based corporations that ROB YOU without noticing it

[harr7959]

THIS STORY IS COMPLETELY FALSE. The Japanese system is OUTSTANDING. The user is NOT responsible for the costs, and the costs are 1/8th of the USA. Fuck this new station for producing this junk

[AmaruRuna]

@harr7959

Its all propaganda, of course American Medical mafias and their idiotic lambs who follow them will believe that garbage. I bet if one of those idiotic lambs calling "don't take my freedom" will really get a treatment in Japan and get a good service for their money, and realised how what they defend are robbing them, they will stop protesting for nothing

[studboy711]

Japan sucks like there gay azz toyota cars.

[harr7959]

Fuck you, bro. Check your facts, Japan is one of the safest and most advanced countries in the world. They are far better than the USA.

[robertc190]

@harr7959 I disagree. I have lived here for 12 years. and well they may be advance in some areas, but in other you might as well be in a third world country. If fact sometime you could swear that you are.

[Dojocho]

Check out the international statistics of infant mortality rates between the USA and Japan..usa is the richest country in the world ..one of the worst on record.

[432cestus80]

If a Japanese citizen was refused treatment in a hospital, how much more of a foreign worker? For asians, they look up Japan as a very rich country, but a Japanese citizen refused treatment in a hospital, Japan is sending a wrong message to its neighbors.

[kayumochi]

After 15 years in Japan I can tell you that this news clip a typically inaccurate report on Japan. Their healthcare system is preferable to the one existing in the USA despite its flaws: affordable and accessible with no gatekeepers. My guess is that those that are turned away from "hospitals" are actually turned away from local clinics that simply can't handle such cases.

[kayumochi]

continued ... I took my daughter to a "hospital" which was actually a clinic for her finger which had been smashed by a door. They turned us away telling us to go to the emergency room. A similar thing happened to a friend of mine: he was injured and bleeding and the hospital/clinic told him we can't handle your wound. Go to the emergency room. While Japanese healthcare isn't as plush with amenities as in the USA it is a better system.

[bishonenboy]

@kayumochi The US clinics would have said the same thing. In the US they'd say Go to the emergency room, they're required to take you.

[robertc190]

@kayumochi I can tell you after just leaving the hospital in Japan, That the doctors are terrible rude and inconsiderate. I was left in kidney stone pain to suffer. The doctor comes in and yells at me tell me we don't do drugs in Japan and would only give me a mid pain killer and didn't work. He could see that I have up to 6 kidney stones plus the ones I brought in with me in a bottle. I was laughed at and make fun of right in front of my Japanese wife. I HATE HOSPITALS IN JAPAN! DENTIST SAME!

[TiradeFaction]

This reminds me a lot of the US....

[allgoo19]

TiradeFaction: "This reminds me of the US..."

I have lived in both countries. The situations are not even close.

[TiradeFaction]

Well, the video itself portrays it as pretty similar, however, it's just one video, and I don't have any information about the Japanese health care system outside of this video, so if you want to shoot me a PM dispelling any mythologies about it, please do so :)

[yusukeshinyama]

Wow, I found this report rather distorted. First, the woman was 41 weeks pregnant and she knew she had pregnancy-related disorder so she

should have been gone to a hospital much earlier. Second, the local hospital did try to help this women but they were incapable because her condition was already so serious when she arrived. Yes, it's sad she's been denied 19 times by other hostpitals, but taking this single incident and saying the whole Japanese healthcare is messed up is just plain absurd.

[tchengaje]

The report mentions this happens in a thousand cases every year....ie pregnant women are turned away from more that 5 hospitals. Certainly the 2 cases are extreme...but it seems amazing that they could happen at all.

[12235117657598502586]

Honto Gomene Tekasaki san!

Deep condolences!

(Please excuse my poor japanese)

[newsmaniaingaidai]

the local media says one of the major factors that caused number of doctors in some clinics decline, is a de-regulation which have made students at doctor schools able to choose whatever clinic or department they want to work at....

which resulted in sharp shortages of obstetricians, physicians, or in other clinics that require relatively hard work..

[newsmaniaingaidai]

and also, many media regard Japan as "the second richest country in the world", but we normal citizens do not feel that anymore...probably since early 90s...

our economy does have large impact on grobal finance, but that does not mean we 've got much money to spend...for example, our government holds trillions of debts...

[GoldenBolt13]

I thought it was only USA that had trillions in debt :/

[GoldenBolt13]

Wow, gotta say, that interviewed guy at 0:40 was way too forgiving. I would have been up in arms if I was married and my wife died because she was turned away by stupid doctors.

[FlatulenceFox]

From the last string of stories focusing on problems in Japan, I can see that the country is also on AlJazeera's shit list.

Not a single story that they have presented points out a problem that is unique or particular to Japan. Unfortunately, so many ignorant people posting on those stories are deducing in their pea-sized brains that they are. I would guess they are also living in a Utopia where there are no economic or social problems either.

This story is pretty messed up though.

[PlasticJesus341]

what are you saying? This would never happen in a country with a functioning health care system, points out the ills of capitalism very well. Australia which is much much poorer than Japan, has one of the best health care systems in the world. Japan which is one of the richest countries in the world, cannot have even the most basic functioning health care system. This is the problem with state capitalism, and capitalism in general.

[GoldenBolt13]

Australia has a sixth of Japan's population.

Also, Australia has a lower (negative?) birth rate. Japan has China right up their ass to worry about, and with China's very unclear foreign policy, you never know if one day Jintao wakes up and says let's invade Japan and Taiwan. 1,000 women a year in a massive population of 125 million isn't that bad..

[FlatulenceFox]

So, if you want to take it there, am I correct in summing up your belief that Australia's health care system is just fine with no major problems?

Because I am sure there are problems with the system there as well. Otherwise, the Australian system would be emulated the world over.

Btw, Australia is neither poor nor socialist.

[TribeTPaul]

Stupidity , mediocrity and arrogance are a staple in Japanese society.

You have to see it to believe it.

[GoldenBolt13]

Maybe among the degenerate ones who have been influenced by the American bullshit. But there are true Japanese I have known who put the best of people to absolute shame. True Japanese people have more honor and diligence than any Westerner.

[TribeTPaul]

I can agree and I can disagree.

I have seen that few minority of which you speak.

And I have seen those who refuse to deal with westerners who have also a streak of stupidity with them. Like I have said you must see it to believe it. The skill of denial is is ingrained here.(IN Japan)

[GoldenBolt13]

That is true. Isolationism I hear is still promoted by some people in Japan. Well, you seem to have lived among them, obviously not as a tourist, and what you say makes sense.

Isn't Japan also very stringent on their immigration policy? Liek even educated, well-to-do Americans and other friends of Japan would have a tough time getting in?

[TribeTPaul]

Again you have to see it to believe it.

Key word see it.

[4Love10]

SAD REALLY

[peppeddu]

BTW one of the problem with Japan is that they are unable to cope with unplanned emergencies.

Give them a system, something that they have to follow "in case of" and they are the best in the world.

Throw them and unexpected situation, and they go into panic.

[peppeddu]

Nah!, I would have called the police right in front of the hospital receptionist.

Some healthcare is better than no care at all, find a corner bed, don't take no for an answer and bring a videocamera with you.

Get on video those who refuses you and tell them if something happen their faces will be on TV all over Japan.

Oh, and I would have called 500 hospitals not 19. With the high speed train in one hour you can be nearly everywhere in Japan.

[0xFE]

Socialism FTW

[quiflipside]

send Filipinos to japan to work if you guys have a lack of nurses and doctors we are willing to work in japan.........................­...

we won't deny anybody

[mizutofu]

Japan dont allow immigrants.

[allgoo19]

I grew up there and never heard of this problem before. Personally I have never had any problem getting treatment.

No health care system is perfect, I guess, but at least they admit they have a problem. In US, we have the biggest problem compare to other developed countries but the government have been denying the problem exists.

[SushiSyogun]

I lived there few years ago and heard of this all the time. Most likely the situation has changed since you where a resident over there. The country is started to sinking socially and economically during and after the lost decade. It seems the politicians favor impoverishing their citizens.

[allgoo19]

SushiSyogun:

Thanks for the info. I heard about "Kakusa shakai". It seems getting worse and worse.

Recession and recovery in 1990's made many people rich while left many others in poverty at the same time, I guess.

Not a good sign when we are looking at the worst part of the world-wide depression is still coming up.

[neoldd1]

terrible newsreport. where is the information?? why did that woman die? what are you people talking about? this is not news. this is trash.

[jacobfster]

maybe your just dumb. all of your questions have already been answered

[VictimOfBoredom]

I read about this. So incredibly sad. Makes me so angry. A rich country like Japan shouldn't be having these kinds of problems. Mismanagement and poor choice of monetary allocation.

Cute kids, though. <3

[breaks0]

This isn't nearly as outrageous as the piece of shit system we have in the US, but I'm still rather shocked 1000 women die giving birth each year in Japan?! How the fuck did that start happening and when? They're supposed to have a universal health care system, in place for decades that should at least be the envy of all of Asia. Although it is true that Japan's current lameduck government is very right wing (they even gave the Bushies a run for their money in that department) and traditionally

[breaks0]

is a very sexist country in many respects (at least by Western standards) in the post-war period. Also, is there any indication that these families were buraku or similarly socially outcast? Their lower class status is enough of a reason this may be happening in post-Koizumi Japan, but no family should have to have $1000s in pre-natal care, especially under an avowedly "universal" system. I hope Ozawa's boys and girls have some plans to work on this when they take over this Fall.

[breaks0]

should have to pay...

[mejirodude]

the "very right wing" in Japan are still left wing in comparison with the rest of the world.

[Noliving]

You don't know anything about japan and it has nothing to do with the so called "right wing" side of it all, they are not even currently in power to begin with in japan.

[breaks0]

Aso is LEFT wing?! Are you fucking kidding me?! I think I probably know more about Japanese politics than you if that's how you feel. And I know quite well where the DPJ is, read my comment more carefully and you might understand what I said. You do have a strong left wing, you're right, in the Communist Party, the only force in Parliament that can really make that claim any more. And your country actually is quite sexist, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, as this video proves a bit.

[breaks0]

I'm not saying this ideological issue is the root of the problem, but it clearly plays a pretty central role since you have so many fascists still running around in the Diet, for starters, women face degrees and types of discrimination you don't see in many western countries (albeit hardly all), and/or haven't seen in some of Japan's neighbors since the war. The reason I focus on this is that it IS a political problem and Japan remains in the grip of 2 right wing parties, a reactionary monarchy

[breaks0]

a business class and a bureaucracy that in alot of ways still looks like the one that existed in lead up to and during WW2. That's partially America's fault for not dismantling it when it had the chance. I simply think it's WAY past time to give the other side another chance at governing for a while, something (the current DPJ campaign finance scandal aside) still seems the most likely outcome of this year's election. But that aside, why don't you answer the political and non-political causes...

[breaks0]

of this crisis in pre and post natal healthcare, instead of misinterpreting what I said about Japanese politics. It's not supposed to happen in a universal health care system like Japan has and I'm asking for some deeper answers, b/c this report only scratched the surface.

[Noliving]

No he is a dumbass, but he isn't even close to being right wing either.

[breaks0]

Then your idea of conservative is apparently quite alien to most definitions I've ever seen. I will admit, I shouldn'tve said "your country" since I have no way of knowing if any of you who replied to my comments are Japanese, especially since I never viewed your channels.

[Noliving]

And what is conservative too you?

[breaks0]

The LDP and the power structure I described that controls it,as exemplified by Aso's own political background and policies.If you don't realize his own fascist background (his grandfather's record as PM,his own reactionary statements and record on a whole host of issues), then you don't really know much about basic ideological differences between left and right.The DPJ and Ozawa are basically right wing as well, despite some of their heritage deriving from the former Socialists/Social Democrats.

[breaks0]

I hinted at my own political biases above and I'm not saying anything I have b/c of any issue with Japan or its people. My beef is with its reactionary political system which admittedly has a stronger left wing to this day, than say the US, but which has been dominated by a reactionary coalition since the end of the war, with brief exceptions in the 40s, 50s and 90s. You're entitled to your own warped view, but most who've studied 20th century Japanese history in a balanced way would disagree.

[RestlessZion]

Is this some kind of wicked depopulation plan? By turning away women in labor and hope they die? How cruel.

[VictimOfBoredom]

Depopulation is the last thing Japan needs.

[RestlessZion]

Victim that would not be the agenda of THE NEW way of thinking. Or the

WORLD will not be in

ORDER.

[VictimOfBoredom]

Japan has among the lowest birth rates of any country in the world. I'm sure the people behind the curtain would allocate their depopulation tactics somewhere more relevant.