vol.10
Top Interview

Ishinomaki HospitalCompletely Restored Six Months After 3.11
Setsuo Takekawa, Chairman of Medical Corporate Body KEN-IKU KAIWith the aim of restoration in the wake of the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the KenIku Kai Group’s Ishinomaki Hospital has been moving forward with recovery work at a very fast pace. Now,
six months after the devastating disaster struck, I am pleased to report to you that the hospital functions
have been completely restored.
As a result of the tsunami, Ishinomaki Hospital suffered catastrophic damage, with its first floor being completely destroyed. To continuefunctioning as a hospital amidst such circumstances, the hospital moved its medical treatment functions, which had originally beenon the first floor, to the second floor, where it continued treating outpatients. On the other hand, as the second floor had to be converted to facilities for providing medical treatment, there was no other alternative but to reduce the hospital’s capacity for inpatients,
which was 135 patients prior to the disaster, to 80 patients.

Commemorative photo with staff of the Himawari Home Healthcare Service Division

The complete restoration of the functions on the first floor has made it possible for the hospital to accommodate the same number ofinpatients as it did prior to the disaster. The number of inpatients has also been increasing, with approximately 100 patients currently
being hospitalized. The capabilities of the hospital have been enhanced with the installation of new medical equipment to replace theequipment that was immersed in the water from the tsunami and no longer functional. Two doctors of great generosity and goodwill
have also been welcomed to the hospital after the disaster, and the recruitment helped it to improve its healthcare preparedness.
Furthermore, the construction of a new facility, the Senior Care Home Shion, which had been postponed for a time due to the damage
caused by the tsunami, is scheduled to resume this month with the aim of opening its doors next spring.

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The mountain of rubble generated by the disaster that covered the surrounding area has been cleared away.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the response we received from so many parties, including the members of MaedaCorporation, who promptly started recovery work under harsh conditions immediately following the disaster, as well as to the government authorities for their warm support. We owe our smooth recovery to these parties. Furthermore, Professor Sadayoshi Ito of theTohoku University Graduate School of Medicine visited the hospital shortly after the disaster, in spite of the poor transportation conditions. His warm words of encouragement greatly heartened the hospital staff members. I would once again like to thank him for histhoughtfulness.

Reception area

The reception area has been restored and is neater and cleaner than ever before.

2Medical equipment

The first floor has been completely equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment.

In addition, in the days following the disaster, the staff members of the hospital and the other facilities had
to work under extremely difficult circumstances, as their homes had also been damaged in the disaster; andyet, they put priority on providing medical care to the hospitalized patients above their own welfare. Their
selflessness was truly a magnificent thing. Their devotion to their work was taken up by the media, and theirpatients and their families have expressed their appreciation for these efforts. I feel all the more a great senseof pride in the members of the Ken-Iku Kai Group, for their strong sense of duty to do the very best they canfor the patients who are there in front of them, and to do so in the face of the tremendous hardships presentedby this disaster.

Kitchen
The tsunami totally destroyed the kitchen equipment. The kitchen underwent a complete renewal
with the installation of brand new cooking equipment, such as IH cookers.

3Rehabilitation room

The rehabilitation room was completely renovated and all new equipment was installed.

Although Ishinomaki Hospital has completely recovered, the scars of the disaster still remain in many areas
around the hospital. Through the work carried out by Ishinomaki Hospital, the Ken-Iku Kai Group hopes tocontinue moving forward, together with the people in the disaster-stricken areas, and to be a source of strength
for the restoration of the disaster-stricken areas.

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