Hare Hare Yu… are under arrest.

Just posted this over at Dannychoo. I had seen many a hare hare yukai before, but this one left me with so much laughter, I cried rivers of tears.

Japans Medical Care. Where exactly is the “Care”?

So I started reading a manga called “Team Medical Dragon” . This manga was written by Akira Nagai, a successful doctor and medical journalist, who died in 2004.

The story of the manga follows a genius surgeon who is in the business to save lives. However the Japanese Medical World is dominated by corrupt politics. Doctors don’t care about the patients, only success and recognition. This leads to things such as doctors turning away foreigners who can’t pay up, using experimental medicine with harsh side effects that haven’t been cleared to use, etc.

Now I just started reading this manga today and am now among chapter 40, and here I go taking a break between some chapters, and check out some news story, when I see an article linked on japanprobe about this 82 year old lady who passed away after being denied at 5 hospitals !!! As I read further into this article I also read about a pregnant lady who went into labor and was denied by 8 hospitals ! She died 3 days later after giving birth and undergoing surgery for a brain hemorrhage.

It’s pretty sad to read about real life examples of what I am reading in this manga of corrupt hospital care. It makes me sad to think that there are “professionals” who can’t accommodate people in such life and death situations. Where has the humanitarianism gone ?

Team Medical Dragon was also made into a J-Drama called “Iryu”. There are 2 seasons.

American Medical Care Followup – After speaking with a friend of mine who works at the local hospital, it is quite disheartening to hear that the hospital is considering turning away people on government supplied benefits such as “medicare” because they aren’t making money of them.

Whats even worse, is this is the only hospital within 20 miles or so that accepts medicare. Even the nearby sutter and kaiser do not accept medicare. This is quite terrible for those patients who have transportation issues, financial issues, etc. So it kind of stinks to know we are no better.

It’s a sad world when people will let sick and wounded people die over pennies.