More than a quarter of the hospitals designated as special disaster facilities may not be able to accept patients if heavy rain inundates nearby streets, as they have no alternative means of access, according to a new government study.
Of the 676 facilities designated as disaster hospitals as of April last year, 398, or 58.9 percent, said the roads surrounding them could be flooded due to heavy rainfall or tsunami. Of these, 179 facilities, or 26.5 percent of the total, said they have no substitute access.
According to the study, which was released Monday, only 25 of the 179 have taken steps such as setting up heliports or using inflatable boats and amphibious vehicles to accommodate patients in such contingencies, while 154 facilities have yet to take any such measures.