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Comments from the Director of IUHW Narita Hospital on the Decision to Move up the Hospital’s Opening Date

In view of the pressing medical situation in Japan, the opening date of the International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW) Narita Hospital will be moved up to March 16, 2020 (from the original date of April 1). Currently, medical institutions nationwide, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, are doing their utmost to address this situation. In light of these circumstances, we have decided to open the IUHW Narita Hospital as early as possible to protect the health of local residents as well as that of the wider population of Japan, in accordance with our mission as a medical institution.

Until the end of March, we will receive outpatients at the general medicine and the fever and infectious diseases department solely on an appointment basis, providing 46 private rooms for cases when hospital admission is necessary. When a patient presents with symptoms such as cough or fever, the patient will be examined in the fever and infectious diseases department. An entrance separate from the usual central entrance will be used for patients suspected of being infected.

The decision regarding the need to perform a RT-PCR test to check for infection with the virus causing COVID-19 will be made by physicians from the Infectious Diseases Department, and the test will be carried out at our university, the International University of Health and Welfare.

In case a patient infected with the virus causing COVID-19 is admitted to our hospital, the patient will be hospitalized on a dedicated floor completely isolated from other wards. Twelve private negative-pressure rooms (which prevent contaminated air from escaping) will be provided for these patients to be treated by physicians specializing in infectious diseases. Physicians and nurses attending to the patients will take all necessary infection prevention measures including the use of personal protection equipment such as protection gowns. Thorough measures will be taken to sanitize and disinfect the floor, and all staff members will strictly follow infection prevention procedures.

Our hospital is a Designated Medical Institution for Class I Infectious Diseases, and we have measures in place to completely prevent contamination by pathogens for any infectious disease. We have a secure infection prevention system in place both outside and within the hospital. Inside the hospital, the dedicated ward is completely isolated from other areas, and we have strict controls on contact and the use of designated pathways.