No.118 Submission of a request letter from the mayors of Hino, Tama, and Inagi City to the Governor of Tokyo

In Tokyo, the spread of the Delta variant led to the arrival of the fifth wave around mid-July 2021, with new infection cases setting daily records. While it seemed that the peak occurred around mid-August 2021 in terms of numbers, new infection cases remained high afterward, and by the end of August 2021, even patients with moderate symptoms who would normally require hospitalization were forced to undergo treatment at home.

Since last year, the work related to COVID-19 has been increasing, but the Tokyo health centers that need to respond are under severe staffing pressure, and the medical institutions that should accept hospitalizations are also facing staffing and facility constraints.

In order to overcome such crises, on August 31, 2021, we visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to submit a request letter addressed to Governor Koike, co-signed by the Mayor of Hino City, the Mayor of Tama City, and the Mayor of Inagi City.

The requests are: (1) to promptly expand the personnel system of the health center and to promote the sharing of information about infected individuals between the health center and the cities within its jurisdiction, (2) to advance the establishment of temporary medical facilities, and (3) for the metropolitan government to actively engage in hospitalization coordination and transfer coordination during the recovery phase.

In explaining the purpose of the request, I emphasized two points.

(1) Regarding this matter, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has consistently stated that it cannot disclose personal information of infected individuals due to the Personal Information Protection Act. However, the current COVID-19 situation has been described as a disaster-level event since last year. In times of disaster, to protect the lives of victims, information should be disclosed even without the individual's consent. We have requested that the addresses and names of those undergoing home treatment be shared with the health center to implement early support for citizens in home care, strengthen monitoring, and prevent solitary deaths among infected individuals living alone.

(2) Regarding this matter, we are requesting the establishment of temporary medical facilities to eliminate home care. The number of medical institutions in the city that can provide home visits and consultations is limited, and as the number of people receiving home care has increased, we have been gradually approaching our limits. To care for patients with a limited number of medical professionals, we have requested a change in the approach to medical care during normal times, which is based on individual room management for infection control, to secure large room facilities, similar to field hospitals, as a temporary response during disasters.

Although there was no immediate response at the time, I received a direct phone call from the responsible executive staff a week later, and I was able to get a response that they are inclined to agree to share information with the health center as per our request.

This staff member is an acquaintance from a previous department and has a good understanding of our municipal position. It seems that they directly approached the governor, and we received a response from the governor saying, "That should be shared."

In the future, by having both the Public Health Center and City Hall understand the citizens who are eligible, it will lead to early support from the city in cases where the Public Health Center is unable to manage.

This information sharing may only be a small part of the issues that need to be improved in collaboration with Tokyo Metropolitan Government, but we will continue to overcome the barriers of systems and organizations one by one to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.