The Health and Social Situation of the Foreigners Living in Japan
- VernacularTitle:在日外国人の保健医療‐問題と対策
- Author:
Khaled RESHAD
;
Kazuo MAESATO
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Foreigners living in Japan;
Medical Insurance;
Community participation;
Response of chronic diseased patients to treatment
- From:Journal of International Health
2008;23(1):15-17
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
The foreigner's population in whole Japan is increasing up to 2.5%, while in Shizuoka prefecture it is 3.0% in Hamamatsu it is much higher up to 5.3%.
Health problem is a major item in the daily life, while about 36% of this category has not any health insurance, in order to receive the medical services in the medical facilities.
Community participation is an essential factor for the foreigners, in order to be in touch with the Japanese mothers and children. The lack of this kind of coordination may some time result difficulties in education of the children, regular health check and medical care of the foreign families.
Results: Among 220 patients sixty four percent of all patients had medical insurance, while remaining 36% had to pay for the whole expenses. Among those who had medical insurance 50% of acute diseases, and 60.6% of chronic diseases responded to continuous treatment, while in self-payment category only 40% of acute cases, and 21.6% of the chronic cases had efficient compliance.
The compliance to the treatment in both acute and chronic diseases were higher in those foreigner patients who had medical insurance. In those who had not any insurance poorly compliance to continuous treatment were obtained.
Conclusively community participation as well as, medical insurance for foreigner patients is a necessary item for living in Japan, in order to support their healthy and happy life.
