# Measures for an Urgent Increase of Doctors

In light of the recent summary on “Measures for an Urgent Increase of Doctors” on 31 May 2007 by the government and ruling parties in response to the current shortage of doctors in regional areas and certain hospital diagnosis departments, on 30 August the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications have arranged to accelerate measures that will secure the number of doctors in regional areas. These measures will be done through specific efforts such as promotion of training for doctors in charge of local medical care centers and expansion of student’s quotas in medical schools.

## I ncreasing the enrollment limit of medical schools, concerning “Measures for an Urgent Increase of Doctors”

## ○ Temporary and urgent increase of doctor training in all prefectures

Number to be increased: Maximum 5 for each prefecture (for Hokkaido up to 15 due to serious shortage)

Period: Starting in 2009 and lasting up to 9 years (for local public universities, starting in 2008 and lasting 10 years)

Condition: terms of scholarship (required to work within that prefecture for at least 9 years after graduation (1.5 times the period covered by the scholarship))

Universities: Implement programs that train doctors to be in charge of local medical care centers.

## ○ Increase the training of doctors in prefectures that have few doctors in training

Target: (i) Wakayama Prefecture - Wakayama Medical University ※ Total number of doctors in training in the prefecture is under 80

(ii) Kanagawa Prefecture - Yokohama City University ※ Prefecture where enrollment limit of the Medical Department is under 80.

(The number of medical students currently enrolled is 60 for both universities)

Number to be increased: Up to 20

Period: possible starting in 2008, permanent measure

Condition: prefectures need to take measures such as increasing training, similar to those taken last year by the 10 prefectures with doctor shortages in order to get doctors to stay (scholarship terms, etc.).

## Measures for an Urgent Increase of Doctors (Government and ruling parties, 31 May 2007) (excerpt)

### 6. Expand training for doctors to work in regions or hospital diagnosis departments with doctor shortages

In response to the shortage of doctors in specific regions or hospital diagnosis departments, we will use scholarships to immediately and temporarily increase the number of doctors in training in order to ensure the allocation of doctors in regional areas and hospital diagnosis departments determined by the prefectures. In addition, to raise the number of doctors in regional areas we plan to expand regional frameworks in medical schools and increase the number of doctors in training in prefectures where this figure is low. We will also carry out inspections of the medical organization system that provides clinical training.

(Reference) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Homepage

Measures for an Urgent Increase of Doctors (31 May 2007)

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/bukyoku/isei/kinkyu/dl/taisaku01.pdf

Efforts concerning “Measures for an Urgent Increase of Doctors” (30 August 2007)

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/bukyoku/isei/kinkyu/dl/taisaku03.pdf