Masanori Nakagawa, professor emeritus at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and director-general for healthcare and medical services at the Kyoto Prefectural Government, provides information on a "hospitalization waiting station" set up by the prefectural government to accommodate COVID-19 patients awaiting hospitalization, at Shimadzu Arena Kyoto in the city's Kita Ward on Aug. 16, 2021. (Mainichi/Satoshi Fukutomi)

       KYOTO -- A prefectural facility to accommodate COVID-19 patients unable to quickly find hospitals to accept them opened in a gym on Aug. 18, with eight beds prepared for patients needing oxygen and other temporary treatment.

       The facility, set up at Shimadzu Arena Kyoto in the city's Kita Ward, will ultimately be equipped with up to 30 beds to function as a "hospitalization waiting station" for patients with nowhere to go.

       At the station, operated by the Kyoto Prefectural Government, one doctor, two nurses, two fire department staff and two prefectural government employees will be on duty around the clock to respond to patients' needs. The prefectural inpatient control center, which has helped find places for patients at hospitals and treatment facilities, will coordinate operations, and accommodate patients who cannot be immediately hospitalized. The facility will not accept non-coronavirus patients.

       The partitions between beds at the facility are set relatively low, at 1.2 meters high, to make it easier for staff to visually check patients' conditions. Doctors and other medical staff will keep tabs on patients' blood oxygen levels, pulses and other health indicators with monitoring equipment.

       Masanori Nakagawa, professor emeritus at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and director-general for healthcare and medical services at the prefectural government, highlighted the significance of the standby station, saying, "We've been witnessing an extremely severe state of infections. Having patients wait at the station will allow medical institutions to prepare to accept them."

       (Japanese original by Satoshi Fukutomi, Kyoto Bureau)

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