This is a short audio extract from the NHK G TV programme ‘News Watch 9’ broadcast on January 19th 2024, reporting about the elderly and people with disabilities in Ishikawa prefecture after the earthquake on January 1st 2024.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has determined that ‘Megumi’, a major group home management company for people with disabilities, was overcharging food costs from residents. It was revealed on January 17th, through interviews with related parties, that the government has recommended that a report be submitted by the end of this month. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducted a special audit and made recommendations at the end of last year.
Fourteen people who evacuated to safety are now believed to have died from causes related to the earthquake in Ishikawa prefecture. Medical experts warn the figure could increase due to poor sanitary conditions in shelters.
On January 15th, NHK reported how some elderly people are hesitant to evacuate out of Ishikawa prefecture because it may disrupt their medical care regime.
For a break from ‘earthquake news’, Barrier Free Japan talks about the prevalence of ‘QR codes’ at train stations in Japan and how this might affect accessibility.
The question is, will the increasing use of QR codes make it more difficult for some in Japan to use the railway?
A massive earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day has now claimed 215 lives in Ishikawa Prefecture. Fourteen people who evacuated to safety are now believed to have died from causes related to the disaster. Medical experts warn the figure could increase due to poor sanitary conditions in shelters.
Of the total, eight died of indirect causes related to the earthquake, including exhaustion and poor health during evacuation. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the number of people still unaccounted for stood at 52.
The Japanese government plans to focus more on preventing deaths from indirect causes, rushing to move evacuees, especially elderly people, from stopgap shelters to more livable accommodation out of concern about deteriorating sanitary conditions.
Fatalities in the central Japan prefecture of Ishikawa from a massive earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day have exceeded 200.
According to an announcement by the Ishikawa prefectural government Tuesday, the death toll in the 7.6 magnitude quake rose to 202.
Nine people at evacuation center in Ishikawa were infected with norovirus and two people were infected with the new coronavirus.
They were all in the same evacuation center. After receiving treatment at the hospital, he was placed in isolation.
The death toll in the central Japan prefecture of Ishikawa from Monday’s powerful earthquake has risen to 126, prefectural officials said Saturday.
The magnitude-7.6 New Year’s Day quake has left 210 people unaccounted for in the prefecture, the officials said.
According to Ishikawa Prefecture, as of 10 a.m. on the 4th, damage such as water outages and power outages had been confirmed at around 120 elderly facilities in the prefecture, including special nursing homes and group homes.
Residents are not able to take a bath, and the toilets cannot be flushed, raising concerns about hygiene.
Barrier Free Japan