On April 3, the Medical Treatment Department of Tenri Yorozu-sodansho Foundation (Ikoi-no-Ie Hospital) celebrated the opening of the Kidney Dialysis Division, and newly set up the blood purification center at the renovated space formerly occupied by the Psychiatry Ward, which had moved to the Shirakawa Branch last summer. Dr. Izumi Amano, board member of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy, became the first director of the division. The hospital has now been geared up both in software and hardware to offer well-developed dialysis care, which includes the treatment and prevention of complications associated with being on dialysis.
Whereas only eight dialysis units were available at the former dialysis center, the new blood purification center is equipped with 14 units. Moreover, the center provides such facilities as a private room for patients whose condition is complicated by communicable diseases, a facility for minor operations, and a corner in the hallway where patients can take refreshments and rest after treatment.
Given that dialysis lasts for about four hours three times a week and that the number of new dialysis patients increases by ten thousand each year in this nation, the demand goes far beyond what the hospital can offer with those 14 dialysis units. In addition, among the inpatients at Ikoi-no-Ie Hospital are many who also require dialysis treatment. “Although we increased the number of units, we are still unable to provide dialysis for outpatients at large,” said Hospital Director Hidehiro Okumura, who himself specializes in urology. “As far as the interim dialysis treatment for followers is concerned, however, there is a great possibility that we can better the situation for those returnees, to whom we had no choice but to give a referral to other hospitals for dialysis in the past. We will manage to offer our service to them in any way possible. So we expect to hear from them about their schedule as soon as their plan for returning to Jiba firms up.”
Upon the opening of the kidney dialysis division, Dr. Amano, former director of the department of dialysis therapy at Social Insurance Chukyo Hospital in Nagoya City, was posted as director of the division. Playing a crucial role in the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy while being a board member of the Japan Society for Blood Purification in Critical Care, he is the nation’s leading figure in the field of dialysis therapy and of the treatment of complications affiliated with being in long term dialysis. “Undertaking dialysis in a secure and comfortable manner” is a creed to him, he said. His biggest challenge is to assist dialysis patients in social rehabilitation. He said, “I try to ease restrictions on them in their daily lives, because I want to support them in such a way that they will eventually be able to do what ordinary people can do.”
On the grounds that the dialysis units available are limited in number and that dialysis is a time-consuming treatment, the hospital prefers a minimum of one-month advance notice to make arrangements for those requiring dialysis during their trip to Jiba.