Friday, December 26, 2008

Ministerial Council on Strengthening the Functions of Community Medicine

Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the 1st meeting of the Ministerial Council on Strengthening the Functions of Community Medicine at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Council was established for the government as a whole to advance comprehensively adequate measures to revitalize community medicine, with the relevant ministries and agencies working in cooperation.

At the meeting, ministers concerned made their respective reports on the efforts to be undertaken. To strengthen the functions of community medicine, the importance was affirmed of the government working as one, with the relevant ministries and agencies in close contact.

In his address, Prime Minister Aso said, "This is not an issue that involves only the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It involves the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications when it comes to transportation [of patients], and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in relation to university hospitals. As such, cooperation among the relevant ministries and agencies becomes important. This Ministerial Council was established based on this conviction. Today's meeting is the Council's first meeting. It is very important that in its successive meetings the Council gives due consideration to how to prevent heartbreaking incidents -- issues we now face -- from occurring. This is the most crucial point."