Japan to Begin Hospital Ship Operations by Next Jan.

Tokyo, March 18 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday instructed his government to develop a system to operate so-called hospital ships by January 2026.

on the same day, the government adopted a program for the introduction of hospital ships, which provide medical care at sea in the event of large-scale disasters and infectious disease outbreaks.

To prepare for possible megaquakes in the Nankai Trough off the country's Pacific coast and beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area, a law on the promotion of medical care using ships was put into effect last June.

The introduction program calls for using existing private-sector ships for the time being for transporting patients from disaster-affected areas and providing medical care near affected areas.

The government plans to conclude agreements with ship and transport operators, coordinate with medical organizations, and conduct related drills.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]