In China and Korea, diagnosing illnesses by tasting feces was practiced.

 〘Tasting Feces〙

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Excerpt.

Provisional translation

[Overview]

 Tasting feces (shōfun) is a method of diagnosis by tasting human feces. It is said to have been practiced in ancient China and in Korea until the Joseon Dynasty. In Confucianism, when performed for one's parents, it was considered a form of filial piety, and anecdotes remain.

[China]

 The story "Tasting Feces and Worrying"

 A record of diagnosis by examining excrement can be found in the anecdote in "Wu Yue Chunqiu: Goujian's Entry into Service," where during the Spring and Autumn period, when King Goujian of Yue was a prisoner under King Fuchai of Wu, Goujian, in order to make Fuchai believe that he was completely subservient, tasted Fuchai's feces while he was ill and said that he would soon recover. 

 Based on this anecdote, "tasting feces" is also used to mean "flattering someone and having no shame." People who are excessively flattering, like some Japanese people, are called "tasting feces people" (people who lick other people's feces) [1]. The taste of the feces was said to be bitter [2].  

 This is similar to the anecdote of "sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall," where one tastes bitter bear bile to remember humiliation (Refer to the Triple Intervention by Russia (1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904)).

 Afterward, stories of tasting feces can also be found in anecdotes from the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty. The story of "Tasting Feces and Worrying" remains in "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars" and "Diary Anecdotes." According to this story, during the Southern Qi Dynasty, an official named Yu Qianlou returned home due to his father's illness, and the doctor told him that he wouldn't know the condition unless he tasted the feces. Yu Qianlou said it was easy and tasted it, and because the taste was different, he realized his father's death was imminent and prayed to the Big Dipper to take his place.

[Korea]

 In Tomo Imamura's "Filial Sons and Virtuous Daughters of Korea" in "Collection of Korean Customs," it states:

　6. When a parent is ill, one tastes their feces. The passage states: "If the taste of the stool is sweet and smooth, the illness will not be completely cured. If the taste of the stool is bitter and rough, complete recovery will occur.  According to this tradition, one can test whether an illness will be cured or not. Since bile is present in the stool, it usually has a bitter taste. Sweet-tasting stool is probably nonexistent." [3]

Doctor Leaves Operating Room Saying "I'm Going to Pick Up My Bonus"

Doctor Leaves Operating Room Saying "I'm Going to Pick Up My Bonus" = Wuhan [Social News] 2011/08/16 (Tue) 11:50

 On the 12th, a doctor at Zhongnan Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University in Wuhan, Hubei Province, reportedly said, "I'm going to pick up my bonus," and left the operating room. The China News Service reported.

 According to a 61-year-old female patient, during an endoscopic surgery to remove an intestinal polyp, the doctor told a nurse, "I'm going to pick up my bonus," and left. The nurse instructed the patient, "The endoscope is inside you, so do not move." The doctor returned about 30 minutes later.

 According to the patient, the surgery, which should have taken about 30 minutes, took three hours, including when the doctor was absent. After the surgery, she developed a high fever of 39.3 degrees Celsius, and continued to experience anal bleeding for several days. Although pre-operative examinations indicated that four polyps would be removed, more than a dozen incisions were made.

 The doctor who performed the surgery explained, "The intestines are long and winding, so some polyps cannot be found during an examination. We are proceeding carefully with the surgery to ensure accuracy. The bleeding is due to the patient's hemorrhoids."

 When asked about how he had left the patient during surgery, saying he was going to collect his bonus, the doctor reportedly said, "If the surgery is long, I sometimes go to the bathroom. Three hours is still on the short side. I have performed surgery that took a whole day. On that occasion, I went to eat with the endoscope still inside the patient's intestine, and continued the surgery when I returned."

[Related Articles/Information]

- Homemade car theft prevention "suicide device" "detonated" after owner forgot to deactivate it = China (April 13, 2010)

- Chair explodes, woman sitting in it severely injured - Xiamen, China; fatalities have occurred in the past (May 14, 2010)

- Man in critical condition after eel is inserted up his anus, rupturing rectum - China (April 28, 2010)

- Water purifier... breaks down multiple times after purchase, finally exploding one hour after repair = Shandong (October 19, 2011)

2011/08/16 (Tue) 11:50:08 [Searchina] http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2011&d=0816&f=national_0816_082.shtml

 Sorry for sharing this old news article.

 This is no laughing matter, but it is a funny story, so I've reproduced it here.

 It may seem like a funny story, but the specific name of the university (hospital) is mentioned, so it's probably not a joke.

 I've always thought that when an "incident" like this becomes public, the "perpetrator" is interviewed, the newspaper reports it, and the article is then posted in Japanese on a major Japanese portal site (which is a foreign country), so I get the impression that freedom of the press and disclosure of information are more advanced in China than in Japan. 

 In Japan, stories of this magnitude would not be reported in the newspapers (unless it becomes a criminal case or civil lawsuit).

Kitakyushu Yahata Higashi Hospital Elderly Abuse Case: Not guilty found. Ueda seeks revocation of "abuse determination."

Elderly Abuse Case at Kitakyushu Yahata Higashi Hospital: Found Not Guilty in Criminal Trial. Ms. Ueda Calls for the Revocation of the "Abuse Declaration." / Fukuoka

◇ 100-Person Rally in Kokurakita Ward: Ms. Ueda Appeals

 In the "nail-cutting incident" that occurred at Kitakyushu Yahata Higashi Hospital (Yahata Higashi Ward) in 2007, former nursing department head Satomi Ueda (age 44) was found not guilty in criminal trial. In response, on May 14, 2011, a rally was held in Kokurakita Ward calling for the revocation of Kitakyushu City's certification that Satomi Ueda's nail-cutting act constituted "abuse." Organized by an executive committee made up of medical professionals, approximately 100 people attended.

 Ms. Ueda said, "I want the word 'abuse' removed as soon as possible, and I want to become a normal nurse." Attorney Amahisa Yasushi also commented on the fact that over 8,000 people have signed a petition calling for the revocation of the certification, stating, "Mr. Ueda's reputation has not yet been restored, and the medical field is in a dignified and confused state."

 Regarding the "nail clipping" incident, in 2007, the city's third-party organization, the "Dignity Care Specialist Committee," determined that Mr. Ueda's nail clipping constituted abuse, and the city also recognized it as such.

 However, following Mr. Ueda's acquittal in October of last year, the committee is re-examining the case.

[Kitakyushu Edition]

Mainichi Shimbun, May 15, 2011, Regional Edition

Elderly Abuse at Kitakyushu Yahata Higashi Hospital: Mr. Ueda Found Not Guilty, Call for Revocation of "Abuse Certification" / Fukuoka - Mainichi.jp (Mainichi Shimbun)

http://mainichi.jp/area/fukuoka/news/20110515ddlk40040251000c.html

The blog administrator's comment is coming soon.

A woman had her anus sewn up during childbirth as retaliation for the doctor's (semi-forced) insufficient "gratuity" provided to her during childbirth. 〜〜The Growing Hospital Gratuity Issues

"Woman's anus sewn up in retaliation." The seriousness of the hospital gratuity issue that has surfaced due to allegations.

[Social News] 2010/07/30 (Fri) 12:17

 Searchina Research Institute (Shanghai Searchina) conducted a survey on its website, "Xinqin Survey," regarding the issues of medical staff receiving "gratuity" in Chinese hospitals. Over 50% of respondents considered the issues to be "very serious" or "fairly serious."

 An incident occurred at a hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, in which a pregnant woman had her anus sewn up during childbirth as retaliation for the doctor's insufficient gratuity. In light of this allegation, the issue of hospital gratuity has once again drawn attention in China.

 At a hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the husband of a victim claimed, "My wife received unnecessary stitches around her anus during childbirth. I believe this was retaliation for the doctor's insufficient compensation."

 In response, the hospital and authorities claimed, "The woman had hemorrhoids, so the midwife simply tied the stitches as a courtesy."

 It is possible that the woman and her husband were mistaken about this being retaliation for the insufficient compensation. The truth is still unclear.

 However, there is no doubt that the background to the widespread attention this "suspicion" has received is the fact that "medical staff are receiving compensation" and "there is effectively coercion (to provide "compensation" to doctors)."

 In a survey asked, "Is the issue of medical staff receiving compensation serious in the area where you live?" 28.6% of respondents said it was "very serious," and 25.6% said it was "fairly serious," with over 50% of respondents saying it was "serious." 10.1% of respondents considered it to be "not serious."

 When asked, "Do you support the practice of giving gratuities at hospitals?" 15.5% said "in favor," 52.4% said "against," and 32.1% said it "depends on the situation."

[Related Articles/Information]

- Suspicion of Suturing a Woman's Anus During Childbirth... Midwife in Controversy Attends Press Conference = Guangdong (July 30, 2010)

- Woman Whose Anus Was Stitched During Childbirth Suspicion of "Low Remuneration and Retaliation" = China (July 28, 2010)

- Man with Glass Vial in Rectum Finally Removed After Four Hours of Surgery - Jiangsu (June 21, 2010)

- In China, Where Sex Selection is Banned, Hospitals Find Loopholes to Increase Revenue (February 21, 2009)

- Man's Rectum Torn After Eel Is Inserted Up His Anus, Leaving Him in Critical Condition - China (April 28, 2010)

※Japan as Seen from International Blogs, How the World Views Japan - Searchina International Blog

Suspicion of "Suturing an Anus in Retaliation" Emerges... Over 50% of Hospitals Deem the Issue of Hospital Remuneration "Serious" 2010/07/30 (Fri) 12:17:36 [Searchina]

http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2010&d=0730&f=national_0730_077.shtml

 Westerners reading this news might wonder, "Did the doctor ask for a tip?" However, this kind of bad practice, longstanding in East Asian countries (Japan, Korea, and China), is more of a bribe than a tip. Even if a private businessperson receives a "gratuity," it does not constitute bribery under the Criminal Code. However, as the above-mentioned article points out, in most cases, the person is forced to pay a "gratuity" in addition to the actual payment, or is "effectively coerced."

 The widespread problem of bribery in China is known better than anyone else by the Chinese themselves, and China's ruling class (elites) has long struggled to eradicate it.

 Until recently, the issue of offering "gratuities" to medical staff existed in Japan as well. While the practice has "died" since the establishment of the health insurance system, this bad practice has not disappeared. Questions like "Do you pay gratuities?" and "How much should I pay?" are often found on online question sites.

 In Japan, there are well-known stories of parents being asked (effectively extorted) to pay huge amounts of "donations" before their students take the medical school entrance exam (which often leads to legal uproar, such as the Saitama Medical University Hospital incident), and it is said that the exam results depend on the amount of the donation (of course, no such "evidence" remains, so there is no point in complaining later).

 This is a fact that all Japanese people know, but it is also a fact that no one wants to talk about.

 It is generally said that one donation to medical school costs 10 million yen, and the ranking of applicants is determined by "how many donations (their parents) make."

 Naturally, only special, extremely wealthy families can afford such large sums, and inevitably, all medical school applicants are the children of doctors (private practitioners).

 In Japan, doctors and politicians are effectively a special type of hereditary aristocracy, with their position usually being passed down for three or four generations. 

 Furthermore, a special guild-like group of doctors (the "Medical Association," a guild-like political pressure group that spreads throughout Japan at the municipal, prefectural, and national levels) has become allied with conservative political parties (mostly the Liberal Democratic Party), causing a variety of problems, not just bribery.

 Japanese macaques are cunning creatures, so today they no longer blatantly demand money as a "fee," but have instead changed the "form" and adopted the method of "mailing" "presents" such as "year-end gifts," "mid-year gifts," and "newyear gifts." 

 The important Boss Monkey who receive the "presents" take them to specialty stores and exchange them for gift certificates or money. 

 The cash exchangers then sell the "presents" to retailers and other outlets at prices lower than the normal market price. Retailers put these "presents" (which, even if unopened, are in fact second-hand, as they have been passed on to someone else and then resold) on display in stores (as seasonal, unsold goods) at a price significantly discounted from the regular price. (Former) "presents" are sold as customer-drawing items in the corners of supermarkets, in discount stores, on internet shops, and over the phone.

 Who came up with this idea? 

 It's a truly cunning method. And it's a very Japanese macaque-like thing to do.

Popular mainland Chinese idol dies after plastic surgery goes wrong

Popular Chinese Idol Dies Due to a Plastic Surgery Mistake

Nippon Television Network (NNN) Published December 1, 2010 (Wednesday) 3:23 AM

On November 15, 2010, popular female idol Wang Bei (24) died in China due to a surgical error while undergoing face-reducing plastic surgery.

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency and other sources, Wang Bei died that day at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, after a blood vessel near her chin ruptured during surgery, causing bleeding and blockage of her trachea, resulting in asphyxiation.

The hospital initially denied any error. It also reportedly falsified its business license and there were questionable aspects of the surgeon's qualifications.

Popular Chinese Idol Dies Due to a Plastic Surgery Mistake (Nippon Television Network (NNN)) - Yahoo! News

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/nnn?a=20101201-00000007-nnn-int

"I poked him in his eye with a ball-point pen to make him feel the most pain" ...Angel in White

 "I poked him in the eye that would hurt the most to relieve stress"... Former Sayo Hospital Nurse Indicted for Prosecution

September 15, 2010, 11:17 AM

 In connection with the incident in which six inpatients at Sayo Kyoritsu Hospital in Sayo Town, Hyogo Prefecture, suffered broken ribs, the Hyogo Prefectural Police First Investigation Division and Sayo Police Station indicted former nurse Sayuri Hamuro (26, Japanese female), currently on trial, on suspicion of assault for allegedly poking another inpatient in the eye with a ballpoint pen on September 15, 2010. Hamuro reportedly admitted to the charges, saying, "I poked him in the eye that would hurt the most to relieve frustration."

　The additional charges allege that at around 8:00 PM on September 21, 2008, the suspect poked a hospitalized male patient (then 80 years old) in the right eye with a ballpoint pen and then punched him, causing injuries including a lacerated conjunctiva.

　According to the Hyogo Prefectural Police, the patient was bedridden and unable to communicate. Since December 2008, the hospital has seen a series of elderly inpatients with broken ribs. When investigators examined their medical records, they discovered six patients with eye injuries. The prefectural police only filed charges in one of those cases.

Related News

Former Nurse "I Poked a Bedridden Patient in the Eye" to be Indicted for Additional Prosecution in Sayo Hospital Incident

[The Heart of the Shocking Case]

The "Angel in White"'s Malice was Directed at Bedridden Patients. A Nurse in Sayo Town, Hyogo Prefecture, Re-Arrested for Breaking Another Patient's Ribs

"The Patient Won't Thank Me." The Nurse Who Broke a Patient's Ribs Explains Her Motive. 17 broken ribs... The hospital investigation covered it up as a "pathological fracture." Did the nurse feel relieved and continue her crimes?

A female nurse was arrested for breaking an elderly patient's ribs at a hospital in Sayo, Hyogo Prefecture.

"I poked him in the eye, which seemed to hurt the most, to relieve stress"... Former Sayo Hospital nurse indicted for further prosecution - MSN Sankei News

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/100915/crm1009151118008-n1.htm

 I've lived in the Japanese village for a long time, so I'm not surprised by something like this at all. I just think, "Oh... again?" At the same time, I also think, "I'm getting old and don't have much time left, so I'll probably be treated the same way and killed by the Japanese Cockroach in the near future."

 I'm sure there are many Japanese people who feel the same way.

 Crimes of this magnitude are likely rampant in medical institutions, nursing homes, schools, and prisons throughout Japan, but in this case, the nurse "went a little too far." Even though numerous elderly victims of this brutal abuse have been uncovered, only one case has been prosecuted.

 In Japan, killing one or two people would go undetected, and the police probably wouldn't take it seriously. If you punch some cockroaches a couple of times, pinch them, kick them, or throw them down, it won't become public knowledge.

Mother Sues Midwife for Infant Death "Due to Failure to Provide Vitamin K".

 In Japan, there is still a lot of blurring of the distinction between folk beliefs and "natural remedies" on the one hand and modern medicine on the other.

 Every day, all day long, from morning to night, TV is filled with commercials for dubious health foods that claim to be "effective for ___." They claim to be for knee pain, cancer prevention, frequent urination, or anything else, but in most cases, they're gone after a year and no one remembers them. Most of them are just one-off health scams.

 In my personal experience, a homeroom teacher at school delivered about 10 karate chops to the neck of a child (not me) who had a nosebleed. I've also seen a case where a teacher pulled a jammed finger with great force.

 The carotid artery runs through the neck, so the theory goes that chopping the neck prevents blood from rushing to the head, preventing nosebleeds and "cooling the head," which is what's good.

 The neck contains important nerves connecting the brain to the spinal cord, and the muscles in the neck are weak (we often see scenes in movies and TV shows where someone twists their opponent's neck to kill them instantly, but there is a limit to how much neck muscle can be trained, and the muscle fibers do not become as thick as those in the arms and legs), making it a dangerous act even for adults (Rikidozan (professional wrestler) performed karate chops from the front on the chest, not on the neck), and since the cervical vertebrae of elementary school students are fragile, it was akin to child abuse.

 A folk remedy for jammed fingers is that when a dodgeball or basketball hits the tip of the finger, the finger retracts towards the base, so if you pull and stretch it with all your might, it will go back to normal.

 A jammed finger is an inflammation of the joints and ligaments, so pulling on the joints is a big deal.

 Drinking chitosan after a meal was said to be effective in treating obesity, and it became a huge hit, experiencing explosive popularity. But it quickly disappeared after a series of deaths. 

 Chitosan is a component of laxatives. It certainly does help you lose weight, but...

 There are far too many other examples to list, and there are so many of these that it's impossible to remember them all.

 In Japan, new and unusual foods and pseudo-drugs appear every year, claiming to be "good for you" or "effective," but they quickly disappear and are forgotten. And yet, commercials for these foods and "drugs" air on television 24 hours a day, every day.

 If you're unfortunate enough to be forced to stay in Japan for an extended period of time for work, or even just for a short trip, even if you fall ill, it's best not to just accept the recommended treatment or take the medication. It's better to research online whether the treatment is evidence-based on Western medicine and whether the medication is safe. It's also a good idea to email your family doctor in your home country and get a second opinion.

 In Japan, herbal medicines are prescribed by medical institutions and covered by insurance. However, even herbal medicines can have side effects, so it's best to make sure the person prescribing them is actually a licensed herbalist. In Japan, there is no national qualification for Kampo doctors, and doctors who graduate from medical schools (studying Western medicine) and pass an examination with a virtually 100% pass rate can prescribe Kampo medicine. Kampo medicine can also be purchased freely at pharmacies without a prescription.

Damages Lawsuit: Yamaguchi Mother Sues Midwife for Infant Death "Due to Failure to Provide Vitamin K" - Mainichi.jp (Mainichi Shimbun)

 A 33-year-old mother from Yamaguchi City has filed a lawsuit in the Yamaguchi District Court seeking approximately 56.4 million yen in damages against a midwife in the city, claiming that her two-month-old daughter died of bleeding due to the midwife's failure to provide vitamin K. While a research team from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recommends administering vitamin K to newborns to promote blood clotting, the midwife instead administered sugar tablets from a private organization that advocates natural remedies.

 According to the lawsuit, the mother gave birth to a baby girl in August 2009. Approximately one month after birth, the baby developed fever and vomiting, and an acute subdural hematoma was discovered. The hospital where the baby was admitted diagnosed with vitamin K deficiency bleeding, and the baby passed away in October.

 According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, while vitamin K is naturally present in the body, fetuses are prone to deficiency due to low storage and limited production. A deficiency can lead to intracranial bleeding and gastrointestinal bleeding, and is said to be most common in infants around one month old.

 In a report published in 1989, a research team from the ministry presented guidelines stating that "vitamin K should be administered orally three times a day: immediately after birth, one week after birth, and one month after birth." This guideline is now included in textbooks for medical professionals and is widely recognized.

 According to the private organization, the tablets are made by soaking sugar pellets in a diluted liquid of plants and minerals. According to the lawsuit, the midwife recorded in the maternal and child health handbook that she had administered vitamin K2 syrup, but in fact she had given the tablets three times. In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun, the midwife said, "I thought the tablets had the same effects as vitamin K."

 When the Japan Midwives Association (Tokyo), which received a report of the fatal accident from a midwife in October last year, urged the private organization to administer vitamin K, it was told, "We have not instructed the infant not to give vitamin K."

Mainichi Shimbun, July 10, 2010, Western morning edition.

Teikyo University Hospital makes a tallying error, bringing the number of deaths from infection with multidrug-resistant bacteria to 31.

Teikyo University Hospital made a data counting error, bringing the death toll from multidrug-resistant bacterial infections to 31.

 Teikyo University Hospital Director Shigeho Morita (left) and Infection Control Committee Chairman Kenji Eguchi bow at a press conference (morning of the 8th, in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo).

 Teikyo University Hospital (Itabashi Ward, Tokyo) had already confirmed 46 cases of infection with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter, a bacterium that is resistant to multiple antibiotics. On September 8, 2010, the hospital announced that it had missed seven cases, further increasing the total to 53.

 At the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, three hospitalized patients were found to have been infected between February and August of this year.

 Eight cases have also been discovered at Yurin Hospital (Director Yasuo Hashimoto) in Setagaya Ward. The hospital held a press conference on the morning of September 8, 2010, denying that there had been any infection within the hospital, but the Tokyo Metropolitan Government criticized the hospital for delays in reporting the cases to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

 In the morning of September 8, 2010, Teikyo University Hospital Director Morita Shigeho held a press conference and began by bowing his head and saying, "We would like to apologize to the patients and their families for the additional cases."

 According to the hospital, the revision in the number of cases was due to a calculation error. It has now been discovered that a total of seven people were infected at the hospital between August last year and February this year. Of those, four have died, bringing the total number of infected deaths to 31. The hospital had previously stated that a causal relationship between infection and death could not be ruled out for only nine of the fatal cases, but the causal relationship between the infection and deaths of the four new cases is currently under investigation.

(Yomiuri Shimbun, September 8, 2010, 2:10 PM)

 Teikyo University Hospital's tallying error leads to 31 deaths from multidrug-resistant bacteria infection: Society: YOMIURI ONLINE (Yomiuri Shimbun)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20100908-OYT1T00489.htm?from=nwla

 Teikyo University Hospital is known for its notoriety, and any Japanese person would harbor a strong negative impression of it.

 This latest incident remains unchanged, once again instilling in Japanese people the impression that nothing has changed at this university hospital.

Hospitalizing at such a hospital would be tantamount to suicide. Are there any doctors or nurses currently (or even former) hospitalized at this hospital? Are there any staff members at this hospital who have their family members hospitalized there?

 

 Unlike general hospitals, university-affiliated hospitals never go bankrupt, no matter how many scandals they may have. This is the same as national university-affiliated hospitals.

 Moreover, since most hospital staff are university employees, there is no risk of job loss. At a normal hospital, if you cause a problem and get fired, you would have nowhere to go.

 As a Japanese person, if I were to give advice to foreigners staying in Japan, I would say, "You should definitely avoid working at a Japanese university hospital."

Is it safe to drink earthworms?!

Turn on the faucet and find a worm in my cup... Shinshu University Hospital

Yomiuri Shimbun, September 17 (Fri), 10:00 AM

 On September 16, 2010, Shinshu University Hospital (Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture) revealed that a type of earthworm, the earthworm Erythrion elegans, had been found in the tap water in its ward. The cause is unknown, and no health problems have been reported.

 According to the hospital, on the afternoon of September 14 of that year, a patient who had poured tap water into a glass contacted the hospital, reporting that there was a worm measuring 2-3 mm in size. 

 The hospital provided bottled water to patients for drinking and is currently cleaning the water tank on the rooftop floor.

Turn on the faucet and find a worm in your cup... Shinshu University Hospital (Yomiuri Shimbun) - Yahoo! News

Last updated: September 17, 2010 (Friday), 10:00 AM

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100917-00000249-yom-soci

 If someone unfamiliar with "Japan" or "Japanese people" reads this news, they might think, "This university hospital must be a terrible place." But the opposite is true.

 Maybe some patients gulped down juice containing worms. Other hospitalized patients may have eaten worm-filled curry or worm dumplings.

 However, since there were no health problems and the patients didn't cause a fuss, it should have been easy to quietly resolve the situation and put an end to it.

 In a collective organization made up entirely of Japanese people, most inconvenient information is suppressed, and all "Japanese" remain silent.

 Despite this, this university hospital was willing to disclose such a minor "incident" to the media, so perhaps it can be said that it has a fair spirit. 

 As we all know, one of the most effective ways to prevent the recurrence of "scandals" is through information disclosure.

 Most of Japan's national university hospitals have old buildings and equipment. I once visited the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, and when I saw the "manufacturing date" on the machinery, I was shocked and a little scared by how old it was.

 Like an apartment building, the water supply in a hospital building is designed to use electricity to pump water to a rooftop water tank, ensure a certain amount, and then let it fall into the pipes using gravity. Newer buildings sometimes have systems that deliver water directly from ground-level taps to each floor's faucets, but for now, most high-rise buildings and other structures in Japan use water supply systems that drop water from a rooftop water tank down to the ground. Maintenance such as cleaning the tank and checking the water quality is important, but there are likely some contractors who just take the money and neglect their work.