Tweets from Fukushima

Launching Counseling Room　-for hearts and minds-

As post-disaster construction and damage repair go on, our lives seemingly calm down. It’s true on the surface, yet what about on the inside? I can hear the alert that “mental health” is becoming significant issue more and more. Under this situation, I have been wondering if I could do something with it. With some experts’ kind support, we became able to set up “KOKORONO SOUDANSHITSU (Counseling room -for hearts and minds-) this month. The health insurance covers the consultation but you need advanced reservations. We’ll keep the door open for the confused people of all ages, so please feel free to contact us. Nothing would make us happier if we could be of help to you as medical personnel.

Living in symbiosis

A new year has just started. So many things happened last year. I do hope this year would be “Brand-New” one, filled with peace and happiness.

I cannot help but feel the Great East Japan Earthquake led to the end of “competitive society”. “Living in symbiosis” would be a key word for the society from now on.

We would like to be always next to you, searching for what we can do as medical personnel.

A message

Today, I’d like to introduce a message from a patient’s mother. I’m happy if you get some idea about our life in Fukushima through that. She thanks to me in the message below, but I’m supposed to be thanking her likewise. Since she and her son also gave me lots of energy….

…………………………………………………..

Dear Dr. Miura,

I’m Yuki’s mother. Please excuse me for e-mailing you all of a sudden.

Thank you very much for frequent replies to Yuki via e-mail in spite of your hard schedule. I really appreciate your consideration.

Our house was collapsed because of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Even after that, our family got involved with many troubles. The situation made Yuki anxious and as a result of it, he had to be hospitalized three times. Every time he stayed at your hospital, all of staffs: the pediatric doctors, the nurses, the children nurse and nursing students supported us. Thanks to their warm kindness, he was able to recover. Furthermore, Dr. Mira, your encouragement gave us zest for living.

I’ve been wondering how we can express our gratitude. Consequently we have decided to donate picture books to your hospital. Even though they are not so many, it would be lovely if you could utilize them in the pediatric ward or the waiting lounge.

I understand that you are working with time running schedule. I sincerely hope you’ll take good care of yourself. Yuki and I wish you the best during the upcoming year.

Yours sincerely,


Yuki’s mother

Marche

“Hello, Welcome!” Cheerful greetings sound in a small tent. Although it’s freezing out there, the shop ladies are always full of energy. Fresh vegetables and colourful fruits are pleasant to the eyes. Homemade rice cakes look really yummy.

“HATAKENBO Marche”, a small farmers market ran by JA Sukagawa　(Japan Agricultural Cooperatives in Sukagawa city), is on the hospital ground. The combination of “hospital and market” may sound little bit funny, but there is a story behind this.

Just after the great earthquakes, we run out of fuel and so we couldn’t make the inpatients body either warm or clean. We called for supplies and the JA Sukagawa responded our request. Blankets and towels from the farm producers enabled us to tide over difficulties.

On the other hand, most of farmers in Fukushima were hit by harmful rumours related to radiations. Even if they were proven safe for consumers, the sales were dropped. Sukagawa was not for exceptions. I figured it was our turn to contribute the local farmers this time. I suggested to JA Sukagawa to open the farmer’s market at the hospital ground and they were happy to accept it.

Thus, the market named “HATAKENBO Marche” was opened in this April. Not only the hospital workers but patients are enjoying shopping fresh and tasty vegetables every day.

Sukagawa city is located in northeast of Japan, therefore it’s freezing outside in December. Not been defeated by rain or snow, the shop ladies flash warm smiles to the customers. Although we all spent tough time this year, I feel “OK. We should be OK.” seeing their pleasant faces.

KIZUNA

The kanji of this year, "KIZUNA (Ties)," was written on a large piece of paper at Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto. The scene, in which a monk dynamically draws Kanji with huge calligraphy brush, makes me feel the year is coming to the end. Kizuna is a really symbolic kanji for this year and became a word with significant meaning for us living in the Tohoku region, in particular.

“Connecting hearts, spreading KIZUNA” That was a catchphrase for our Sukagawa Saigai FM. Saigai means disaster. Saigai FM radio stations are allowed to broadcast only under emergency situations.

Just after the nuclear accident, local people got together at our hospital every night, and talked over the radiation problem. In the meanwhile, I found Saigai FM could be started rather easily. I brought up the idea to start the FM, and they agreed with it. We immediately got move on. Although nobody knew about setting up FM, we formed a committee for Saigai FM radio station a week later, and just one month after the earth quake, we started radio-broadcasting. Even during strong after-quakes, we grab a microphone to pass along vital information. In a program named Hospital Radio, we mainly delivered information related to radiation. During that time, we got interviewed by NHK world radio Japan. Based on the interview, the NHK radio program translated into 17 languages and our activities were introduced across the world. The reporter brought messages and songs from all over the world. They were the very idea of KIZUNA.

Unfortunately, we had to close the radio station only after two months of operation. It was a very short period of time, but we believe that we were able to connect people’s hearts and spread the kizuna spirit through radio broadcasting.

KIZUNA became a really special word for us. I wonder what the Kanji of the next year would be. Wishing we could step forward to get over the disaster, I hope it would be something positive.

I don't see that

General opinion's making out we live in a world filled with hatred, yet I don't see that. In fact, we are surrounded by warm-hearted people.

Just after the great earthquake, we ran out of fuel. We couldn’t make patients body warm. We couldn't even keep inpatients' body clean since the laundry company was damaged. Everyone was at a loss.

I directly appealed to the JA Sukagawa(Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) asking for relief supplies. Later in that day, wagons filled with lots of blankets and towels were pulled up alongside the hospital. Moreover, one of the Rotary clubs knew our situation flew to the Fukushima Airport from Hyogo Prefecture. His private Cessna was stuffed with aid supplies and love. And not only them, we received countless gentleness in that chaos.

In the disaster, nobody was died, nobody injured in our hospital, and now we are back on the safe ground. That is thanks to you all, thanks to the kind-hearted people.

I don't believe the world is filled with hatred. Love actually is all around, that is so true.

The first step

As you know, we experienced the massive earthquake. Especially, the nuclear accident was 100% unwelcomed news for Fukushima residents. We have been struggling in the radiation environment. However, as medical personnel, we did not have time to whinge.

In the midst chaos, everybody needed the accurate information. The average person had no idea what to rely on. Therefore, we spent our energy to gather valuable data to provide the residents with helpful information. In this April, I started offering lectures on radiation, in and out of Sukagawa. Next one scheduled in January will be the 29th.

To know what is safe and what is unsafe, that would be the first step to put back the smiles. It would be great if I could be some help to bring you some peace of mind…, even just a little.