岩手縣有假醫生

Recently the Excite News reported the following:

医師不足に悩む岩手県宮古市の県立宮古病院（菅野千治院長、３８７床）に医師と偽り勤務しようとしたとして、県警宮古署は８日夜、自称大阪市天王寺区上本町５、無職、一宮輝美容疑者（４４）を医師法違反容疑で現行犯逮捕した。共に勤務予定だった知人男性（自称３８歳）も偽医者だったとみて事情を聴いている。

　逮捕容疑は、８日午後６時半ごろ、宮古市和見町の同病院官舎前で、職員に対し、医師免許がないのに循環器科の医師と虚偽の申告をした疑い。２人は１０日から勤務予定で、８日に宮古入りしていたという。 同病院によると、一宮容疑者は０８年１１月ごろ、大阪市内の病院の医師と名乗って宮古病院に電話し、「ニュースで岩手の医師不足を知り、手助けがしたい」などと話した。

このため同病院は、一宮容疑者と知人男性を０９年末から２、３回面接し、４月中旬に採用を決めた。だが２人は医師免許や履歴書の提示に応じず、今月６日にようやくファクスで医師免許を送ってきたが、厚生労働大臣印などが無いことなどから、県医療局を通じ宮古署に相談していた。

県医師支援推進室によると、県内の人口１０万に対する医師数は１９１．９人（０８年）で全国３７位。宮古地区も医師不足が深刻で、同病院は循環器科の常勤医が不在のため、他病院から派遣を受けていた。常勤医は年収約２０００万円。公募はしていなかった。菅野院長は「常勤医が欲しいとの思いから、疑問な点も見過ごしてしまった。市民の期待や安心を踏みにじる結果になってしまい申し訳ない」と話した。

On the night of 8th, Miyako station prefecuture police arrested a suspect Terumi Ichinomiya (44) who came from Osaka City Tennoji Ward, unemployed, for pretending to be a doctor for the purpose of working in the prefecture Miyako hospital (Director Kanno had 387 beds) in Miyako City in Iwate Prefecture which all along had trouble of doctor shortage, and thus suspected of violating the Medical Law. Miyako police station also listened to the case that an acquaintance man (self claim 38 years old) who was scheduled to work together was also an imitation doctor.

The arrested was suspected to have made false declaration to hospital staff in front of this hospital's staff residence in the Miyako City at around 6:30PM on the eighth, purporting to be the doctor of circulatory but in fact had no medical licence. The two people said that they entered Miyako on the 8th and scheduled to start work on the tenth.

The Ichinomiya suspect introduced himself in around November 2008 as the doctor in the hospital in the Osaka city, calling the Miyako hospital, saying that "from the news I know about doctor shortage in Iwate, and I want to help" etc. according to this hospital. This hospital therefore interviewed Ichinomiya the suspect and the acquaintance man for two to three times since the end of 09, and decided on the employment in the middle of April. However, the two people did not respond to a request to present the medical licence and the personal history, although had sent the medical licence by fax at last on the sixth this month, but because there were no Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare stamping etc, the hospital consulted the Miyako Police station through the prefecture medical treatment bureau.

According to the office responsible for prefecture doctor promotion and support, the number of doctors to a population of 100,000 in this prefecture is 191.9 (year 2008), ranking at the 37th place in the whole country. The Miyako district was in serious doctor shortage, and when the full-time doctor of circulatory was absent another doctor had to be sent to this hospital. A full-time medical doctor annual income was about 20 million yen. It had not made open recruitment. Director Kanno said ｢A doubtful point has been overlooked due to the desire of wanting a full-time doctor. My apology to the fact that it had resulted in trampling down citizens' expectation and safety｣.

I am wondering whether it is due to lack of funding that the Miyako district has difficulties in attracting doctors to work for them.