A total of 395 people have applied for 200 slots for certified sports doctors to work during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as volunteers, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee said Monday.

The committee plans to have all applicants become medical service providers at venues of the Summer Games, although the number of applications, which it finished accepting on Friday, turned out to be nearly twice as high as its initial target.

Certified sports doctors must have held a medical license for more than four years and attended a course by the Japan Sport Association. Their activities include providing medical services at tournaments and serving as team doctors.

During the Olympics and Paralympics, they will work at medical rooms at the athletes village and competition venues, among other sites.

Ensuring a sufficient number of medical staff has been an issue for the organizing committee as the medical system in Japan has already been stretched amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Media polls have shown that a majority of people in Japan are against staging the global sporting event this summer, with concerns over the further spread of the virus and the lack of medical resources growing.

The organizing body came under fire in April after requesting the Japanese Nursing Association to secure 500 nurses to provide medical services during the games.