40% of Hospitals in Japan Request Family Be Caregivers for Child Inpatients

From Jiji

April 12 2024

TOKYO – About 40 pct of Japanese medical institutions accepting hospitalizations of children ask family members to stay around the clock with them in certain circumstances, a government survey showed Friday 12th April. 

According to the results of the survey released by the Children and Families Agency, over 60 pct of surveyed institutions have family caregivers stay with hospitalized children in at least 75 pct of cases.

The survey shed light on the major impact that hospitalizations of children have on the lives of many family members.

It found that 36.1 pct of medical institutions have experience of not admitting children or of transferring them to other institutions because their family members could not care for them.

The survey was conducted between Dec. 1 last year and Jan. 15 this year in cooperation with the health ministry. It covered core pediatric hospitals, pediatric regional medical centers and pediatric regional support hospitals nationwide, with 349 institutions, or 46.5 pct, giving valid responses.