Comments on: Bad Bad Medicine: Doctors in Japan

By: wanderer

wanderer — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:26:37 +0000

Recognising a problem is the first step to fix it.
Living with an issue, you get to be used to it, forget about it.

Japanese society is not the only one having issues with the quality of medical care.
But this forum is about japan, not US or Germany or France or … who have their own medical issues.
It is a normal reaction for people who loves this country, to want to make it even better. And denounce OBVIOUS issues.

With all the changes in food habits, work habits, aging population, Japan is going to rely more on doctors in the future.

“Youannoyingwhite”: Ad hominem attacks bring nothing to it.
Argue, show us how wonderful doctors are, or how bad they are, but dont waste everybody’s time swearing at people.

By: youannoyingwhite

youannoyingwhite — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:40:12 +0000

Damn, these self righteous white guys complaining about Japanese society , yet choose to live here annoy me. Low skilled English teaching trash….go back to you moron USA.

By: Hedylamar

Hedylamar — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:33:05 +0000

Hi!
I lived in Japan when I was based as a flight attendant in Narita. Communication was sth really hard and they don´t seem to show too much interest in whether they understand or not what you mean, as if their knowledge would go beyond my explanation and symptoms. Anyways, at the moment I am a medical student in Spain and I am working on a project that kinda describes the Medicine practice around the world. I would like to mention some of the things I saw in my project. For those whoe wrote sth, would you be pls forward it to me? hedylamar@hotmail.com. And ofr the website owner, can I use some of your comments here?

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:09:00 +0000

I’m so glad I just rubbed salt on everything when I lived in Japan (salt water for conjuctivitis, salt on my gums when I thought I had an infection that was a wisdom tooth coming out)- sounds like I would have ended up missing a limb!
Although when I had to get compulsory medical checks at our very international university, I found the doctor’s manners perfectly fine. A bit concerning that we had to get two chest x-rays (one in Australia, one in Japan) for tuberculosis- even though Australia has no tuberculosis… really, making young women get chest x-rays? baaad.
I love my country and our socialised medical system.

By: zena

zena — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:30:04 +0000

After reading the comments here and another on-going one (http://tokyorave.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/very-bad-experience-with-doctor/), i am worried about going to Japan with my family.

Is it really true that doctors in Japan can refuse to see a patient?

By: Graziella

Graziella — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:16:05 +0000

My friend broke her leg, we broght her into hospital and had to wait 2 hours although there wasn’t a lot going on in the ER. After seeing the doctor she’d been told that the specialist is not available anymore (ok it was 11pm) and that she has to wait till next morning. It was ridiculous, she was obviously in pain but didn’t get any painkillers for the whole time, nor anything to cool her swollen leg.
After complaining loudly that this would never happen in European hospitals. And that I can’t believe that this is the medical treatment of technological advanced country. She got properly treated with painkillers. Maybe someone herad my complaint while being on phone….

By: Nate

Nate — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:26:02 +0000

I had a rather bad ear infection, went to the Jibikiya, let them clean it out with the suction thing and put medicine on it(I almost cried from pain but managed not to move more than gripping the chair arm so hard it bent), took the medince they gave me and I was 100% O.K. in a week.

By: canadian

canadian — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:09:28 +0000

For the guy who asked, what’s better- poor quality but widely available Japanese medicine or unequal often unavailable but very good US medicine… I answer with Canada! The high quality of care (although yes, there are issues, like wait times) combined with the availability to everyone.
The US gives socialism a bad rap- but man, we pay maybe 4% more tax on purchases and the like than Cali and we get significantly better health care and general welfare programs… I love socialism! I’ve never worried a day in my life about if I could afford the doctor. (the dentist is another thing… that’s an insurance issue here, too, although not as bad)
But yeah, on the original topic.. I have heard nothing but terrible, terrible things about Japanese doctors… It’s a really scary thing.

By: Lost Translation

Lost Translation — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:18:33 +0000

I’ve been living in Japan for 3 months now and have had a thrush infection which has spread to my esophogus for the past 3 or 4 weeks. I’ve gone to the doctor 3 times the first two times he blew me off. The third time he actually looked in my mouth and then prescribed antiacids and laxtives. Garbage fodder. So I reckon today after work I’m gonna try to see this quack again. Though I’m not sure why I’m bothering. Soon after my arrivial I had an eye infection, but was told by this guy that even if I had an eye problem he wouldn’t be able to tell because my eyes are blue and not black. W T F ? Where do these morons get their medical licenses from?

By: C chan

C chan — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:15:43 +0000

I also had to deal with Japanese doctors myself on several occasions and was never impressed.
But the last time i went (last time cauz i swore to myself that i would never go again after what their diagnosis) was a few years back. I was a student at the time and had a baito in a cafe.

All i had to eat that day was an onigiri from the combini and the food i made myself at work + the makanai. On my way back home on the train, i had a sudden pain in the stomach that was so strong i could not even stand (everyone must have thought i was crazy). Well, i’m gonna pass a few details but for 2 days, i had an awful belly pain, felt like i “had to go” but it just wouldn’t come out. Finally, my boyfriend convinced me to go to the nearest hospital (i lived in Kichijoji, Tokyo) and it looked quite decent (compared to what i had seen before). And then the doctor starts to poke my belly, gives me a tenteki for about half an hour and then the verdict comes in: i have apendicitis! Really doctor? Cauz i really feel like all i have to do is take a s**t but it just won’t come out. And he told me (thankfully) that he couldn’t operate me there, that i had to go to a bigger hospital (Kyorin) which i did the next day.

I spent the whole day on a wheelchair, they took my blood, urine sample, cat scan, xray, saw a gynecologist and every possible doctor out there, and 5 hours later i found out i had food poisoning! Just like i thought! They gave me some powder to drink and told me to drink lots and lots of Pocari Sweat…..10 days (!!!!! trust me, it’s VERY LONG) later i could finally leave the house and the only good thing that came out of this was the fact that i lost 5kgs.

Basically they almost butchered me for crap :p

That’s when i decided never to go see a Japanese doctor again unless necessary.