Medical Activity 2024 Noto Earthquake

Three nurses were dispatched on April 11-12, and all three are working hard in their responsible areas to reduce the burden on the Keiju Medical Center staff as much as possible. They have a variety of duties, including free-work standing such as blood glucose testing, administering insulin injection infusions, cleanliness care, and treatment, as well […]

HuMA is currently dispatching two nurses. In order to avoid burdening the staff during the short period of my activities, I check at least what I do not understand each time. One staff member mentioned that there are many hospitalizations from Wajima district. It seems that those who cannot be handled in Wajima come to […]

Here is the report for April 8-9, April 8. I was in charge of one of the same rooms as yesterday. Today, too, the nurses at Keiju were busy with their duties, including educating newcomers, and each of them seemed to be extremely busy throughout the day, as each of them had a lot to […]

HuMA nurses currently on assignment in Nanao City were sent to Suzu City during January-February. Today is her day off, so she visited Suzu City for the first time in two months. When I went to the Horyu Elementary and Junior High School evacuation center where HuMA used to work, I approached an evacuee I […]

Today was Saturday and there were no patient examinations, so the day was relatively relaxing. Since I had some time to spare, I took a patient with a history of falls in a wheelchair for a walk to the lounge with an ocean view. Also I chatted with another patient in the lounge about local […]

I took on one of the same rooms as yesterday. The nurses at Keiju Medical Center take care of 2 rooms plus α. Compared to that, my workload is small. Until I get used to it, I will first concentrate on fulfilling my nursing duties so that I do not cause trouble to the staff […]

I have been assigned to one room from today. They are elderly and require full assistance with low ADLs, but their conditions are stable. Paired with the chief, they taught me how to use the computer very carefully, including how to input the implementation of meals, toileting, raw food lock, etc., how to authenticate medications, […]

The nurses who were engaged in dispatch in Suzu City in January and February will now participate in support of Keiju Medical Center in Nanao City. ＜Report from a Nurse＞Since it was my first day, I focused on patient care activities to familiarize myself with the atmosphere of the hospital ward. These included changing diapers, […]

We completed our March dispatch at Keiju Medical Center. ＜Report from a Nurse＞ HuMA nurses were in charge of one room. They worked with their pairs to take temperatures, time procedures, prepare IVs, and enter nursing needs. In their free time, they also worked with the caregivers to change diapers. It seems that support nurses […]

From the evening of March 29th to the morning of March 30th, HuMA doctor was dispatched in the ER of Keiju Medical Center, handling self-visits and emergency cases. The night shift physician in charge of the emergency room was a hematologist, and after treating the first case together, the first touch was performed by a […]

HuMA has continued to provide support at the hospital since March to ease the burden on the Keiju Medical Center staff. Doctors are engaged in providing medical support in the emergency room. During the day, the situation was relatively calm, with only a patient with chronic dyspnea due to interstitial pneumonia, but around 3:30 p.m., […]

HuMA will dispatch a nurse/midwife until the end of March in the hope that the Keiju Medical Center staff will be relieved of some of their burden. Nurses work on the wards and focus on patient care. In addition to HuMA, support nurses are available on a 4-5 day basis. Keiju Medical Center is a […]

HuMA continues to provide support at the hospital after March in order to alleviate some of the burden on the staff of Keiju Medical Center. Doctors will be engaged in providing medical support in the emergency room. On the way from Nanao Station to the hospital, we saw stores that had reopened for business and […]

Noto Earthquake debriefing session was held (Sorry, the event was conducted in Japanese only.) Debriefing session was held on March 24 in Nippon Medical School Tama Nagayama Hospital. More than 120 people participated in the event, both online and at the venue. Thanks to everyone’s support, the event was a great success. We would like […]

HuMA continues to provide support at the hospital after March in the hope that the Keiju Medical Center staff can alleviate some of their burden. Dispatched nurses performed a wide variety of tasks in the hospital ward, including checking vital signs, assisting in securing infusion routes, internal medication, and meal assistance. At the geriatric healthcare […]

Our activities in Suzu city ended at the end of February, but we will continue to support maternity hospital in Nanao city on an irregular basis. Today, we dispatched a nurse. When she arrived at Keiju Medical Center in the morning, she found cherry blossoms with a message of recovery in the entrance hall. We […]

Our support activities in Suzu City have come to an end as of February 29. Thanks to the heartwarming support from many companies and individuals over the past two months, we were able to dispatch more than 100 medical people to the area seamlessly. Thank you very much for your support. 【Grants and Donations Support】 […]

Today, HuMA’s team finished its medical relief activities in Suzu City. We cleaned up, handed in our reports, and headed home. As we were leaving the relief station where HuMA had been working for almost two months, an announcement was made inside the building about HuMA’s cleanup. Many people came outside and saw us off […]

HuMA’s support activities at the shelter will come to an end today. Starting with the collection of the medical containers, reorganizing the infirmary used as a first aid station to return it to its original condition, and then the visitors, today’s time schedule was busy all day long. We handed over letters of appreciation and […]

HuMA’s support activities at the evacuation center, which began in January, will end at the end of this month. Various meetings were held today. It was confirmed that local medical services will be available after HuMA’s withdrawal. We returned to the evacuation center after 7:00 p.m., ending a long day of meetings. We removed the […]

We are working with various organizations to pass the baton of medical support toward the recovery of local healthcare. Today was the last day for HuMA to provide bathing assistance, which we had been in charge of all along. One of the other survivors said to us, “You have been assisting with bathing until now. […]

Although the demand for acute medical care is currently subsiding at Suzu City Rescue Center, patients still come to the center for consultation during the day and at night. “I thought I was prepared for disasters, but this event has given me an opportunity to rethink my approach to disaster preparedness. I will take this […]

This is a follow-up to yesterday’s report. A HuMA doctor, a nurse, and a Yokohama City public health nurses visited the home of a patient whose lifeline has been cut off for the past two months. We delivered a referrence letter and disposable hand towels along with ongoing prescription medication. We were relieved to see […]

We visited again the home of a homebound evacuation patient we had visited the day before. She was under observation for a urinary tract infection, but her temperature had dropped to the 96.8°F range and her other vital signs were stable. We were relieved to see her smile during the doctor’s examination. Although lifelines remained […]

We went around the evacuation centers. When HuMA staff sat down to talk with evacuees, many of them told us things they had not been able to speak out before, such as the collapse of their homes and how they feel about it. In the afternoon, a home evacuee came to see us. As the […]

Temporary toilets have been added to the evacuation center’s elementary and junior high schools. These multipurpose toilets with slopes will first be made available to a certain limited number of users. During the installation, members of the Japan Association for Disaster Rehabilitation Assistance Team (JRAT) in Hiroshima also visited the site and gave us advice […]

The Disaster Rescue Dog Program, a joint project with Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), was held. It was an event where participants could meet the disaster rescue dogs that actually worked in this area during the initial stages of the recent disaster. Due to rainy weather, the event was held in the gymnasium of an elementary […]

In terms of medical treatment related issues, the number of visitors has changed from severely ill to mildly ill. We have followed up on a wound of a previous visitor with a skin disease of the ear, which is doing well and no longer requires a second visit. Still, there were some visitors who came […]

HuMA doctors, nurses, logistician, and the Iwate team, all headed out for a round of visits. The doctor, who is also HuMA’s president, took time today to talk with the home evacuee.” He encouraged him to “walk a little bit every day.

Some evacuees originally required nursing care in the shelters, and HuMA has been providing assistance with bathing. Nurses working from the perspective of helping evacuees stay safe, comfortable, and healthy collaborated with the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Disaster Rehabilitation Assistance Team (JRAT) to work together on ways to make it easier for evacuees to […]

HuMA gave a two-day lecture on emergency and disaster medicine to elementary and junior high school students at a school that we currently operate a first aid station. Cherishing the relationship between the elementary and junior high schools and HuMA, we planned an exchange event between HuMA and the students from the first grade to […]

A number of HuMA nurses and midwives have been dispatched to Keiju Medical Center in Nanao city. We have compiled various reports from the dispatchers. Due to the earthquake that occurred in January, the hospital is still undergoing major repairs to cracked walls and leaking ceilings, and the obstetrics department is currently borrowing space in […]

It is now mid-February. As different needs emerge from those at the time of the outbreak, HuMA is responding flexibly. We are currently continuing to share information with public health nurses, but there are many different cases regarding evacuation. Some people choose to evacuate home, while others want to move to welfare shelters but have […]

HuMA has been conducting support activities in the cities of Suzu and Nanao. HuMA dispatches medical personnel as needed to ensure that support is not interrupted. At Keiju Medical Center in Nanao City, there was a change of HuMA dispatchers. The following is a report from a HuMA nurse. It was the day I was […]

At Keiju Medical Center in Nanao City, which HuMA supports, there was a patient discharged today. Since the patient was still showing signs of anemia and fatigue, we first took care of the baby and let her sleep soundly for about 4 hours. After that, we answered questions about childcare at home. We were relieved […]

Today we have a report from the HuMA team working in Suzu City. In the morning, the HuMA team attends the Health and Medical Welfare Coordination Headquarters meeting and shares information with public health nurses. At the evacuation centers HuMA team is in charge of, we work with various support teams to improve the environment, […]

This is a report from Keiju Medical Center. Despite the disaster, the hospital staff is handling all types of deliveries as usual, including vaginal deliveries, painless deliveries, and C-sections. The other day, a patient who underwent emergency surgery for a laceration of the birth canal returned safely to the ward the next day. She is […]

At the Suzu City Headquarters meeting, the General Manager spoke about the resumption of corona vaccinations. He said, “We still have a lot of work to do, but I am very happy that we have changed to a phase where we are about to resume normal operations. So, I hope you will all put on […]

It was a day that made us realize that life is being spun in the disaster area. Due to postpartum hemorrhage, the mother required emergency surgery, but she survived thanks to the cooperation of Dr. Arai, head of the obstetrics and gynecology department, the anesthesiology department, the hospital ward staff, and the operating room staff. […]

As time has passed since the disaster, the number of emergency medical evacuations has gradually decreased, but there are still people in need of various types of care. The number of outbreaks of infectious diseases is not completely zero yet. Some people still visit the night clinic operated by HuMA. HuMA continues to make rounds […]

Today, the weather changed from yesterday’s mild weather, and rain started to fall in the cold northern sky. Will this cold weather turn into snow? The harshness unique to the Hokuriku region has set in. At the relief station, a training session on norovirus infection control was held in the morning, followed by a busy […]

In the affected areas, the disaster damages communities and infrastructure, creating a situation where reconstruction takes priority. Under these circumstances, it becomes difficult for daily operations to be fully carried out. Nevertheless, in order to move forward toward recovery, HuMA-supported Keiju Medical Center in Nanao City is continuing its normal activities. Today, we participated in […]

The evacuees to whom we distributed bedding were very pleased with the new futons and said they slept very well. In addition, today we also proceeded to introduce cardboard beds. The people at the evacuation center helped us. They were surprised at how sturdy the cardboard beds were. In the afternoon, a support group from […]

Today was another cold day with a sprinkling of snow. We distributed the donated bedding with the help of volunteer mountain guides. The evacuees also joined in the effort, saying, “We’ll help!” In no time at all, we had mattresses, quilts, and pillows with covers attached and ready for distribution. Everyone was delighted with their […]

In contrast to yesterday, today was a cold and snowy day. Amidst the snowfall, we received 170 sets of bedding to be distributed to evacuees this morning. Thanks to the help of the Self-Defense Forces and volunteer mountain guides, we were able to finish bringing in the futons in no time. Some people still do […]

Support is really a warm thing. Something I’ve been thinking about lately. I thought that support for the affected areas is a joint effort between survivors and supporters. Working together as a team to help mother deliver the baby safely. Supporters are always warm like colleagues working together. It relieves fatigue and makes us feel […]

The majority of HuMA’s dispatchers are medical professionals, usually working in hospitals and clinics. With the understanding of their workplaces and families, they are committed to disaster relief activities, and HuMA is coordinating to ensure that our relief dispatchers are not interrupted. Today, we had a change of several members, mainly nurses. Here are some […]

Living in shelters and in disaster situations, people face many challenges and stresses in their daily lives. In the midst of this situation, other issues may take precedence, so they may not have time to notice how tight the rings are. As about a month has passed since the earthquake, some people at evacuation centers […]

Recently, an increasing number of evacuees continue to live in their own homes. Some find it difficult to leave their homes and some still feel more comfortable in their homes even though they are on the edge. Indeed, wherever they spend their time, whether in a shelter or at home, their lives may be constrained […]

It is snowing steadily again today in Suzu City. People in the shelter started to tell us their requests for improving the environment. First thing in the morning, there was a person who requested a cardboard bed. Of course HuMA members alone could have prepared the beds, but we assembled them together with local people […]

HuMA continues its support activities at the rescue center in Suzu City and at the maternity hospital in Nanao City. Here is a report from the maternity hospital. The other day, a healthy baby was born safely, and the moment was truly moving. During the delivery, we were touched by the support and encouragement from […]

HuMA continues its medical support activities at the evacuation center in Suzu City. Today, the number of patients seen was low, probably due to the snow and sometimes hail. Japan Disaster Rehabilitation Assistance Team (JRAT) visited us and conducted health exercises for the elderly under the guidance of an exercise instructor. Most people participated and […]

Today at the relief station that HuMA is in charge of, doctors went around talking to people, which led to the examination of those who were not feeling well. However, many of the visitors to the relief center said that they were told by their neighbors to go there, and the situation emerged that those […]

HuMA has divided its team into two teams and is conducting support activities at a relief center in Suzu City and also at a maternity hospital in Nanao City. Today, we would like to report on our activities from the maternity hospital. Today, we had discharges for a postpartum woman and a newborn. Typically, patients […]

We were informed that a person who had tested positive for corona the day before at the shelter was not in good condition, and we visited him immediately. He was unable to eat, and we judged that he had pneumonia, so we transported him to Suzu General Hospital. We also examined and transported other patients […]

At the request of another organization, we accompanied a patient home in one of the districts. The elderly parents were having difficulty evacuating because their daughter, who suffers from schizophrenia, was unable to leave her cat. We went to the home, which was severely damaged. The road was collapsed and impassable, so we had to […]

We had many emergency cases. We saw a dehydrated patient who had an IV infusion yesterday. There was also a drop in blood oxygen level, so we transported him by ambulance. We were relieved to be able to connect him to the hospital because he had a pneumothorax complication. An evacuee who is being treated […]

There may not be many young people overall in the shelter that HuMA is in charge of. Eighty people from other shelters will be moved here in the next few days on an emergency basis. It was necessary to move things to make room for them, but because it was a tough job, the relief […]

At the relief station in Suzu City, where HuMA is in charge, the nurses, who are also local evacuees, discussed the isolation of corona patients. When the discussion was over and the nurses were about to leave, they saw Dr. HuMA’s gold medal. The nurses, who had only ever shown pained expressions when discussing the […]

In disaster relief, it is important to provide support that meets the needs of disaster victims, but it is also important to provide psychological care for them. A support team that has connections in normal times is likely to be a reassuring presence for evacuees. As the number of dispatched teams increases, new members joining […]

Environmental maintenance When we think of medical support, we generally imagine support for the purpose of treatment and prevention, such as medical examinations, surgeries, and prescriptions of medicines. However, we believe that improving the environment and lifestyles that cause illness and injury is also an important part of medical support. When the living environment is […]

We provide medical care, home visits, and mental health care at shelters in Suzu City. There is a risk of corona and influenza infection in evacuation centers. As infection control measures, we suggested that room ventilation, hand hygiene, and disinfection be implemented, and that a call be made through a whole building broadcast to ensure […]

Today, HuMA is supporting a maternity hospital in Nanao City in parallel with its relief center activities in Suzu City. We assisted a pregnant woman who had a natural childbirth. A healthy baby was born. Today we had two deliveries. The patient was suffering from frequent contractions, so the HuMA midwife started labor palliative care. […]

HuMA has been supporting a maternity hospital in Nanao City in parallel with its rescue center activities in Suzu City. The baby looked very comfortable as the HuMA midwife bathed. We also performed ward duties such as milking the mother and examining the pregnant woman using the delivery monitoring equipment. During a short break in […]

We have started to provide support for childbirth at a hospital located in an area that was severely damaged on the Noto Peninsula. HuMA has dispatched obstetricians, gynecologists, and midwives. Even in the midst of a major disaster, medical personnel who are also victims of the disaster are desperately providing medical care for the babies […]

Since it is said that living in an evacuation center can easily spread infectious diseases, HuMA arranged for the use of a vacant room in an elementary school that serves as an evacuation center to provide quarantine. What may be a common cold to a young, healthy person may be life-threatening to a person with […]

We were informed that major roads in the tip of Noto Peninsula were closed from midnight to today due to intensive snow removal work, and we were worried that this might hinder the replacement of HuMA members, but the road closure was lifted at 8:00 am. As of today, the team consists of one doctor, […]

A 90-year-old woman who was trapped between both lower limbs for 124 hours, which occurred yesterday, was responded to by Peace Winds Japan and transported to Suzu City General Hospital, where she survived although she required a decompression incision. Since yesterday, a technical support group has been in the area, using heavy machinery and other […]

This morning, we started full-scale medical services in evacuation centers in an elementary and junior high school. Many people who were injured by the earthquake and unable to go anywhere for medical treatment came to us for consultation.  

We are conducting medical treatment activities. The situation at evacuation centers in the area is serious.       The designated evacuation center for the tsunami has been rendered unusable due to the collapse of the gymnasium’s ceiling.  

We were informed that a voluntary evacuation center had been established in the village of Zenno, so we headed there to check and assess the voluntary evacuation center. However, the roads along the way were severely damaged, and we were also informed that they were cut off by landslides. Therefore, we abandoned our visit and […]

The HuMA team has been visiting hospitals affected by the disaster on the Noto Peninsula and DMAT headquarters already in operation to gather information. There was a major aftershock while the HuMA team was gathering information, but everyone is safe and sound.  

On January 1, 2024, an earthquake occurred in Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture, and a major tsunami warning was issued. HuMA will dispatch an advance team (doctors, nurses, and paramedics) from January 2 to survey health and medical needs and provide necessary health and medical assistance.