Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Committee Proposal

Role of the liaison officer in disaster countermeasures implemented by the Japanese Society of Neurology: Hope for the best and prepare for the worst

Shunya Nakane, M.D., Ph.D.1), Kouichi Mizoguchi, M.D., Ph.D.2), Koji Abe, M.D., Ph.D.3), Naoki Atsuta, M.D., Ph.D.4), Yasuyuki Iguchi, M.D., Ph.D.5), Yoshio Ikeda, M.D., Ph.D.6), Ryuji Kaji, M.D., Ph.D.7), Satoshi Kamei, M.D., Ph.D.8), Kazuo Kitagawa, M.D., Ph.D.9), Kazumi Kimura, M.D., Ph.D.10), Masahiko Suzuki, M.D., Ph.D.11), Hiroshi Takashima, M.D., Ph.D.12), Yasuo Terayama, M.D., Ph.D.13), Kazutoshi Nishiyama, M.D., Ph.D.14), Hirokazu Furuya, M.D., Ph.D.15), Etsuro Matsubara, M.D., Ph.D.16), Shin-Ichi Muramatsu, M.D., Ph.D.17), Osamu Yamamura, M.D., Ph.D.18), Atsushi Takeda, M.D., Ph.D.19), Hidefumi Ito, M.D., Ph.D.20) and Committee for Measures Against Disaster, Japanese Society of Neurology

1) Department of Molecular Neurology & Therapeutics, Kumamoto University Hospital
2) Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Shizuoka Medical Center
3) Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University
4) Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
5) Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine
6) Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine
7) Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Utano National Hospital
8) Center for Neuro-infections, Department of Neurology, Ageo Central General Hospital
9) Department of Neurology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine
10) Department of Neurology, Nippon Medical School
11) Department of Neurology, The Jikei University Katsushika Medical Center
12) Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
13) Department of Neurology, Shonan Keiiku Hospital
14) Department of Neurology, Kitasato University School of Medicine
15) Department of Neurology, Kochi Medical School
16) Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University
17) Division of Neurological Gene Therapy, Center for Open Innovation, Jichi Medical University
18) Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui
19) Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Sendai-Nishitaga Hospital
20) Department of Neurology, Wakayama Medical University

Disaster countermeasures have been implemented by the Japanese Society of Neurology based on the experience of support to the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. The countermeasures activity began at the end of 2011. We, the Committee for Measures Against Disaster, officially started work in 2014. We developed a support network to urgently deal with patients with intractable neurological disease at the time of disaster and strengthen disaster measures, including effective disaster countermeasure training. During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, we realized the need to prepare for natural disasters, leading to a state of emergency, at normal times. A list of vulnerable people should be prepared and the individual support plan for disaster should be confirmed during normal times. Furthermore, during disaster, livelihood support is required for patients with intractable neurological disease living in evacuation centers in affected areas. Therefore, we compiled and published the book, titled "The manual of disaster countermeasures," in 2017. The Committee for Measures Against Disaster in the Japanese Society of Neurology has appointed a liaison officer for patients with intractable neurological disease in each prefecture. The liaison's role of is gathering and disseminating information on the disaster-hit areas, arranging medical support, and coordinating health activities, when natural disasters occur. It is hoped that the liaison officer will play an active role both at normal times and during disaster, even unforeseen ones. Although we hope for the best, we aim to be prepared for the worst.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (3373K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 60: 643－652, 2020)
key words: Japanese Society of Neurology, Committee for Measures Against Disaster, intractable disease, disaster countermeasure, liaison officer for the patients with intractable neurological disease

(Received: 21-Jun-20)