Palliative Care Workshop

　　I'll write about my job, the medical service in Japan, this time. As most of you know, it is almost totally under the control of the government. The uniform services are available for everyone, no matter how high-profile or poor he or she is. As far as I know, this system is one of the best kinds of medicine in the world.

　　When the government wants to put an emphasis on a special issue, they have only to raise the National Health Insurance (NHI) point of the issue. For example, the number of obstetricians diminished in recent years and the government advanced an NHI point of obstetrical procedures at that time. Consequently the number is now recovering.

　　Today's topic, "Palliative Care", is quite simply the issue that the government intends to concentrate on these days. It's the notion that medical staff remove the agony from terminal patients suffering from incurable cancers and lead them to a peaceful end of their lives.

　　The Japanese Government increased the NHI point of this field last year and it had a condition. That is, it must be under a specialist's direction, having the license of a medical doctor and having attended and got through the palliative care workshop.

　　I joined this workshop today and successfully finished. It was really useful and I acquired lots of knowledge and procedures. I will take advantage of these acquired skills from now on.

(Vocabulary)

palliative care  緩和ケア

palliative

〈治療法・効果などが〉 (根治するのではなく) （症状［苦痛］）緩和の, 姑息(こそく)な

〈対策などが〉一時しのぎの

orientation  [C,U] (政治的・宗教的な) 方向性, 信条

sb's political/religious orientation  ＜人＞の政治的［宗教的］信条［方向性］

uniform 〈外見・性質などが〉 同一の, 均一［均質］の

The country needs a uniform legal system. 国家には一貫した法制度が必要である．

National Health Insurance  国民健康保険          NHI point  保険点数

obstetrician  産科医                                        gynecologist  婦人科医

quite simply  まさに                                        direction  [U] 管理, 指揮, 監督

under sb's direction  ＜人＞の指揮のもとに

     

Comments

[Klaus]

Doc, hi there!

Of course Germans are kind - look at me!! *_*
But it's great to hear that your daughter enjoys her stay in my homecountry. Sometimes it is not that easy living in a foreign country with all the differences that might occur.

Concerning my parents - well, my father passed away 2 years ago, my mother 3 years ago - so.....
life goes on. And for my mother it was a relief, after having suffered from "scleroderma" for many , many years.

[KUMO]

Hello, Klaus, and I felt sorry to hear about your parents. I agree with you.

By the way, my second daughter is staying in Germany now, and always says, "German people are kind." She seems to be enjoying her student life in Freiburg.

[Klaus]

Palliative care was a word (- combination) I had not known until the last couple of weeks before my mother (and later my father) passed away. I think it is a great thing - don't extend the life of a terminally ill patient more than absolutely necessary. My friends and of course my girlfriend all know that I would want the same - if there is no way that I will recover, if I can't eat by myself, brush my theeth and shave, use the toilet and so on - short if I am "just" a vegetable, don't hook me up to one of those machines, don't make me suffer more than absolutely necessary.