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A Ozaki, Y Shimada, K Yamamoto, A Hori, T Sawano, T Morita, C Leppold, T Tanimoto, M Tsubokura, Death of the sole doctor at Takano Hospital 6 years after the Fukushima nuclear crisis—who is responsible for health care delivery in the Fukushima disaster zone?, QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 111, Issue 2, February 2018, Pages 79–81, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcx050
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It has been 6 years since the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident struck the northeastern area of Japan in March 2011.1 Futaba District (Figure 1) is located in the coastal area of Fukushima housing the FDNPP, and was affected by all three disasters.1 Although the original population of Futaba District was approximately 72 000, almost all local residents were forced to evacuate in the immediate aftermath of the FDNPP accident.1 In long-term recovery efforts, the Central Government of Japan and district municipalities have started to lift evacuation orders in parts of the previously inhabitable exclusion zone for full-time residency since September 2011.2 However, the current population of Futaba District remains at approximately 11 000, and the delayed recovery of medical services is one of the biggest reasons that local residents cite for their reluctance to return. The district suffers from physician undersupply despite the prior existence of 6 hospitals and 48 clinics pre-disaster.3,4 All of them, apart from one hospital, were pushed into closure immediately after the disaster. Now, 5 years later, only 1 hospital and 13 clinics are open in Futaba District.3
