Induction or inhibition?
I believe that policies aiming to redirect only these private practitioners from Tokyo to rural areas will not bear fruit.
I understand the hope of citizens across Japan who wish to have a local private practitioner in every town, but what is the actual necessity for that?
Could it be just a performance by politicians?
The only way to address this may be to regulate the very concept of free practice itself.
Even if the number of local private practitioners is limited by population, the population continues to concentrate in cities.
In depopulated areas, should opening a practice be mandatory even if the number of patients decreases?
Even if the number of private practitioners in Tokyo is restricted, the right to practice will likely be bought and sold at a high price.
In the past, there was a time when hospital beds were bought and sold for 20 million yen per bed.
It’s almost like the trading of shares in a sumo stable.
Both in Tokyo and in rural areas, hospital closures and relocations become political issues.
But is this really necessary for the patients?
Japan has made progress in transportation infrastructure and road development.
Additionally, patients will not be satisfied with a single physician-run clinic.
With the advancement of house calls, online consultations, and drug delivery, the necessity for local private practitioners is being re-examined.
It’s not just the quantity; patients seek the quality of the doctor.
Doctors themselves do not want to treat patients who are not suited to their specialty.
I believe that the interests of medical associations and local politicians are influencing the situation, which diverges from the actual needs of medical infrastructure and patients.
Is it profit-driven, or about removing regulation?
To the scholars of healthcare policy, please propose the correct policies.
As an involved party, I cannot write about this here.
I ask for your understanding.
Koyama G Representative, Thunderbird Representative, Vice Chairman of Health Station
Yasunari Koyama