Abstract
In this study, we explored the initial response of the fire and disaster prevention organization and the medical activities of the Oshima Medical Center － which is the only local medical center － during the landslide disaster that occurred in the Motomachi area of Izu Oshima on October 16, 2013. Owing to the prediction of the course of the typhoon, the Oshima Fire Department and disaster prevention-related organizations had begun preparations to deal with the consequences of the typhoon a day before the landslide occurred. On the day of the disaster, the Oshima Medical Center handled 24 cases of the disaster, 8 of which were urgently transported by helicopter to Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital, a main island hospital in Tokyo. Furthermore, on October 20, 14 inpatients from the Oshima Medical Center were transported to Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital by a Self-Defense Forces (SDF) aircraft as a measure against evacuation advisories, owing to rainfall. All the transported cases improved and were eventually discharged from the hospital. Thereafter, the Oshima Medical Center successfully evacuated hemodialysis patients from the island and shifted the medical center itself. It was a large-scale disaster leaving in its trail 36 dead, 3 missing, 22 injured, and 239 homes damaged. The Oshima Medical Center escaped the disaster and significantly contributed to the swift execution of disaster medical care. However, overall, glitches in the communication system and the collaboration between organizations during the disaster were exposed. Assuming that various natural disasters will continue to hit us, it is important to prepare sufficiently during normal times to ensure the quality and quantity of medical activities.
