Embarking Battle on Ebola

Inspired by nearly panicking situation in reliable international partner, or the United States, Japanese government started taking urgent measures for preventing broad infection of Ebola virus disease. Although the government has not confirmed the first patient, some people doubt a possibility that the virus already has arrived. As always, the Japanese are suffering from trivial confusion far from fundamental problem, while concerted efforts have been done by highly integrated bureaucratic system.

In international airports in Japan, quarantine officers are watching immigrants relying only on ultra-red thermography device. When they find a person with high fever, he or she will be diagnosed by medical doctor. A news report introduced a comment of officer that he was confident of that measure, saying “The measures of Japanese government is firm, because we watch the patient with eyes,” which made no sense. One traveler told his uneasiness stemming from that light surveillance.

Hospitals began drills of blocking with Ebola virus. There are forty-five designated medical facility in Japan, which have special devices like separation room or protecting suits. One of them made an exercise of lowering air pressure and catching virus in the air through filtering. Nurses experienced taking on and off the protection suits, checking each other. However, what if a patient visit a hospital other than those forty-five advanced facilities? It is true that Ebola virus cannot be deterred once it lands on this island country.

Shinzo Abe administration looking forward to enlarge role of Japan Self-defense Force, taking advantage of this critical moment. According to Sankei Shimbun, the governmental officials began to consider sending Japanese troops to Western Africa, where a number of people is dying with Ebola virus disease. They are focusing on what the Japanese troops can do in the region; emergency medical treatment, building facilities or transportation of helping goods. Japanese conservatives look like ordering every dirty job to the Self-defense Force for soaring their conservative agenda. They will not miss any minor opportunity to send the force abroad.

However, politics does not work as Abe is thinking, His administration is in the middle of a vicious circle of scandals. Even how serious the government is on counter measures against Ebola, the lawmakers are too involved in the scandals to pass necessary bill for further measures. The leading parties have been demanding amendment of Infectious Disease Act, which enabled local government to obtain tissues of highly infectious disease. However, the opposite parties blocked discussion until the scandals would be fully addressed. This is the Japanese politics.