Abstract
Three cities in Chiba Prefecture, Japan (Matsudo, Kashiwa, and Nagareyama) have been operating a nighttime and weekend emergency treatment system called the GIB (for gastrointestinal bleeding) Network in order to provide emergency medical services including endoscopic hemostatic treatment for acute hematemesis or melena patients since March 2010. This is a report on our hospital's activities related to the network from March 2010 through February 2012. Our experience has shown that smooth communication among hospitals on GIB duty, hospitals designated as secondary emergency service institutions, and ambulance squads is vitally important in order to maintain efficient network operations.
