Doctors from a Self-Defense Forces hospital are likely to staff the Prime Minister's Official Residence round the clock in case the nation's leader suddenly falls ill, government sources said Friday.
The government will also improve the emergency care apparatus available to the prime minister, following the disclosure of deficiencies in the treatment of the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, including the lack of a first-aid kit at his residence, they said.
In addition, the government is studying a proposal to have a qualified medic accompany every team of the prime minister's bodyguards, the sources said.
According to the sources, the plan is designed to provide better medical treatment on a daily basis, during emergencies and when the prime minister is on domestic or foreign trips.
The system will create a clear-cut structure in which the physician-in-charge can maintain full contact with government officials and be prepared for any emergency. On domestic and overseas trips, the team will be based at a hospital designated by the government.
The government envisions building a temporary infirmary next to the official residence where doctors from the SDF Central Hospital will be stationed, the sources said. The temporary infirmary will be built shortly after the June 25 general election, they said.
It hopes to set up a permanent infirmary in the new official residence, scheduled to be completed in April 2002, the sources said.