[ad_1]
In Japan, hospitals are striving to find enough doctors during the unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday period started on Saturday, which has been expanded to fit in. the historic transition between the old and the new emperor.
By hiring doctors to work temporarily, many medical institutions have sought to give their doctors enough days off, as their business aims to change the notorious culture of long working hours. However, some rural hospitals have abandoned their temporary recruitment projects and are asking their own doctors to work longer.
Mr. Stage Co., a Tokyo-based medical staff services company, said that as of April 22, 4,538 physician dispatch requests had been sent between April 27 and May 6, either about 800 more than at the Golden Week last year. period.
Although medical institutions generally look for doctors who can take care of hospitalized patients during the vacation period, the demand is higher this year for those who can consult outpatients, according to the company.
"Many medical institutions have recruited staff well before the holidays, but those who are still late have decided to offer higher salaries," said a senior staff member at Stage.
Japan has enacted a law providing for one-off holidays that will extend Golden Week this year. The government hopes that the nation as a whole will celebrate the enthronement of Crown Prince Naruhito on May 1, following the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito the day before and will help solve the problem of long working hours of the country.
This decision was not entirely welcome, as many businesses, including banks and regular preschools, will be closed during this period. In addition, the longer holiday season can prolong working hours and disrupt the work-life balance of those working in the service sector.
"I wonder if the government has thoroughly examined the impact on the medical sector," said a hospital official in Hokkaido.
Rural hospitals are badly understaffed and have trouble finding replacements.
The Hokkaido Hospital itself has started looking for replacement doctors to fill its night shifts during Gold Week, but their efforts have been in vain. As a result, he decided to have more doctors on his staff to fill the night shifts, according to the manager.
In Tokyo, Hamadayama Hospital in the Suginami district, which carries out more than 1,000 orthopedic surgeries a year, hired two doctors to work temporarily during the holidays. They will support the seven full-time doctors at the hospital so that he can open up some of his departments for four days during the holiday period and see patients who need to be treated at least once a week.
"We wanted staff doctors to take their days off as much as possible, because we are urged to reform the way they work," said a hospital official.
Japan has introduced a labor reform law with the aim of changing long-standing work behavior, setting a legal ceiling for extra work and applying a principle of equal pay for equal work.
Starting this month, large companies will be punished if they do not respect the overtime limit of less than 100 hours per month and 720 hours per year.
[ad_2]
Source link
