【Purpose】 Japan is a disaster-prone country having experienced the fourth highest annual frequency of earthquakes in the world between 1980 and 2000 according to the United Nations Development Programme. We have been studying the effects of earthquakes on health and factors that affect post-traumatic stress disorder; however, only a few longitudinal studies on earthquakes have been carried out. This study aimed to clarify five-year longitudinal changes in the mental health status of workers affected by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. 【Methods】 The subjects were 111 people who experienced the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake and responded to three of four surveys (at six months, one, three, and five years after the earthquake). The survey items are basic attributes (gender, age, type of work, damage, et al), health-related QOL (Short-Form Health Survey; SF8), mental health questionnaire (General Health Questionnaire; GHQ28). It consisted of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). 【Results】 There were 104 subjects (84 males and 20 females) who responded at five years after the earthquakes, with a mean age of 49.8 years (SD 13.3). The mental health status of workers at five years after the Kumamoto earthquakes showed deterioration in the GHQ28 total score and subscale for somatic symptoms. At three years after the earthquakes, there was deterioration in depressive tendencies, AIS scores, and the subjective sense of health. 【Conclusion】 The results of the five-year survey study revealed that mental health was particularly affected three years after the earthquake. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is given in the lack of prospects for housing reconstruction, isolation due to changes in the living environment and relationships with neighbors due to moving, and other factors. Screening should be conducted as early as possible after a disaster and a continuous support system should be put in place to provide proactive mental health care by the government and other corporate managers, replacing the need to rely on complaints among individuals.

【Background】 There are many similarities in the disaster prevention plans of the nuclear power station site and neighboring prefectures, and regional characteristics are not taken into consideration. We surveyed the regional characteristics around each nuclear power plant and examined the pros and cons of disaster prevention plans with similar content and ways to improve them. 【Methods】 The 2020 Population Census was used to investigate the population within each PAZ/UPZ by generation. Changes in populations requiring special consideration in the past 20 years in areas surrounding nuclear power stations were also examined. 【Results】 The results showed that population decline and aging were progressing rapidly around many nuclear power stations. The percentage of persons requiring special consideration had increased in all areas. 【Discussion】 In nuclear disasters spanning a wide area, people are more affected by the social impacts, such as long-term evacuation, than by direct physical impacts. Originally, persons requiring special consideration are vulnerable to social exclusion. They might lose contact with and be easily cut off from society in nuclear disasters. This study indicates that the number of persons requiring special consideration may approach half the local population. As self-help and mutual assistance within the community are becoming increasingly difficult, it is necessary when considering nuclear disaster prevention in the future to take measures to include such people at the stage of preparation and to enhance the strength of the local community.

We report on the experiences and issues gained from the medical management of mass casualty incidents after the ship explosion. On April 27, 2021, a mass casualty incident occurred in an outboard motor explosion, and a private emergency medical helicopter was requested. The detailed status of the accident site was unaccounted. Moreover, patient status and site information were confused when selecting a hospital. As we also obtained information that many victims identified in red triage were left at the incident site, we arranged to evacuate them. It was later discovered that the fire department was flooded with civilian reports and inquiries from the media because of the unconfirmed location and status of the incident. Furthermore, information was difficult to collect due to the struggle to respond. Additionally, aerial photographs taken by a drone could not be eliminated, which obstructed on-site activities. An appropriate action plan to overcome such challenges in the future should be considered.

In response to the massive earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, 2015, a Japan Disaster Relief medical team, capable of performing surgeries, etc., was dispatched to the affected area. The team’s Primary Corps provided medical treatment in the village of Bahrabise, while the team’s Secondary Corps began to take over the activities of the Primary Corps. The medical coordinator were in addition to providing the same treatment and vital-sign checking offered by dispatch services up to now, we have so far been tagging along in local ambulances with patients requiring transfers to other hospitals while the patients were being transferred, performing patient management. We evacuated from Bahrabise after the occurrence of aftershocks on May 12 and provided support at a hospital in Kathmandu. We carried in patients coming to the hospital via ambulance, etc., and triaged patients that came to the hospital unassisted. In addition, as the medical teams of other countries were preparing to deploy a field clinic, we offered advice and assistance regarding arrangements and setup, and supported the medical treatment and medical equipment maintenance carried out by clinical engineers and clinical technologists. Medical coordinator thus experienced in activities as a functional enhancement team and hospital support. Based on this experience, future medical coordinators will be required to have a greater understanding of other occupations and the flexibility to be able to respond to local needs.

Recently, risks of natural disasters, such as storms and earthquakes, have increased due to climate change in various regions. In disasters, the supports for persons requiring special care have been out of proportion and retarded which may lead to secondary impairments especially among people with a disability, an intractable disease, or a chronic disease. In this study, as the solution to the problem, we constructed a system for people requiring special care to evacuation and welfare shelters by utilizing the Geographical Information System (GIS), verifying the effectiveness. The system established in this study provided the supporters with the needs of the evacuees in real-time and made disaster dispatch of Physio Therapists adjustable. The evaluation of its usability through our 2 desk exercises suggested that GIS as a supplementary aid may be useful during disaster rehabilitation support. Moreover, the usefulness of GIS as a means of communication for damage status and safety confirmation was also revealed. However, since the two exercises carried out in this study were desktop exercises, a continuous investigation is necessary.

【Background】 Power outages caused by disasters have a great impact on medical institutions. Based on the estimated damage caused by the Nankai Trough earthquake, it is expected that it will be difficult to transport dialysis patients to non-disaster areas. If dialysis machines can be operated with the power of BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle)/PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle)/FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), which are EVs (Electric Vehicles) in the area, the continuation of dialysis will be possible. 【Purpose】 The purpose of this study is to clarify whether it is possible to operate personal dialysis machines without interruption using FCEVs and portable external power feeders. 【Method】 An FCEV was used to supply power to a personal dialysis machine via a portable external power supply device, and a simulated operation was performed using a closed circuit. 【Results】 FCEV and a portable external power supply supplied stable electricity to the end, and the dialysis machine had no alarm. 【Discussion】 In the event of a disaster, personal dialysis machines can be operated by FCEVs and a portable external power supply. Operation of the dialysis equipment at the facility requires a larger amount of electric power, and a trial calculation is required. Securing the water necessary for dialysis remains an issue.