IITATE, Fukushima -- Controversy has arisen over the planned relocation of patients at a rest home in the Fukushima Prefecture village of Iitate, which is part of an expanded evacuation zone that the government designated in its handling of the crisis at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.
The facility, Iitate Home, is the only special home for the elderly in the village. The village and facility have asked the government to exempt rest home residents from evacuations that are to be carried out by the end of May, saying that the evacuation would put the residents under great strain. However, opponents argue that people in the home should not only be evacuated, but given priority during evacuations.
Based on an evaluation of the accumulated amount of radiation in Iitate, the government has ordered that the village be evacuated by late May. However, authorities are still struggling to take care of the weak people who need comprehensive care. In a separate case, dozens of people at a hospital in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, died from physical deterioration after they were evacuated in the wake of the crisis at the nuclear power plant.
The Iitate Home has 107 residents, including many elderly residents with dementia. Two patients are terminally ill and 30 are bedridden.
"Considering the risks associated with moving the patients, it would be safer for them to remain in the village," said Iitate Mayor Norio Kanno.
Masami Sanbei, head of Iitate Home, added that indoor radiation levels were not excessively high.
"The level of radiation inside the facility is low, and residents don't normally go outside to begin with," he said.
An 88-year-old man whose wife is in the facility agreed that it would be better for her to stay in the village.
"After the earthquake, I took my wife to our eldest son's home in Saitama Prefecture, but her health deteriorated because she wasn't able to adapt to the new environment, so she returned to the village. Understandably this facility is better for her," he said.
Hachiro Sato, a member of the Iitate Municipal Assembly, has a different opinion.
"There is still a danger that the nuclear power plant accident will get worse. When something happens, the weak people who can't evacuate quickly should be given priority and be evacuated," Sato said.
A government team set up to provide support to people affected by the nuclear plant crisis says it is now considering where the residents would be evacuated to, and if they should be evacuated at all.
Keiko Tamura, a professor at Niigata University whose research includes disaster-related welfare, said it would probably be better to evacuate residents in stages based on their physical health. She said it was also important to ensure the health of workers.
"If residents remain at the facility, adequate care also needs to be taken to protect the health of the workers who are caring for them. It's a difficult issue, but the only option is for specialists to make a final decision on whether each person should be moved from a medical standpoint," she said.
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) April 27, 2011
福島第１原発：特養ホームの入所者避難で議論 飯舘村
福島第１原発の事故で「計画的避難区域」に指定された福島県飯舘（いいたて）村で、唯一の特別養護老人ホームの入所者避難を巡って議論が起きている。村や施設側が入所者の負担が大きいとして避難対象から外すよう国に求めているのに対し、村民の一部からは「入所者こそ優先的に避難させるべきだ」との批判が上がる。認知症高齢者らの移動を巡っては、同県大熊町にある双葉病院の入院患者ら約４４０人が、原発事故直後に病院側の支援が不十分なまま避難させられ、避難中やその後に相次いで衰弱死する問題も発生。全村避難まで１カ月を切り、全面的介護が必要な弱者をどう処遇すべきかという難題に直面している。
施設は同村伊丹沢にある「いいたてホーム」。社会福祉法人「いいたて福祉会」が運営し、理事長は菅野典雄村長。入所者は男女１０７人で、認知症のみられる高齢者が多い。終末期にある人が２人、寝たきりの入所者も３０人いる。
同村は累積放射線量の高さから、５月下旬までの全村避難を国から指示された。しかし、菅野村長は「入所者を移動させるリスクを考えると、村にとどまる方が安全」と考える。三瓶（さんぺい）政美施設長も「施設内は（屋内なので）放射線量が低いし、そもそも入所者は外に出ない」と言う。
７９歳の妻を「いいたてホーム」に入所させている佐々木市郎さん（８８）は「震災後、妻を連れて埼玉県の長男の家に避難したが、環境の変化で妻が体調を崩してしまい、村に戻った。妻にとっては、この施設にいる方がいいはずだ」と話す。
だが、佐藤八郎村議は「福島第１原発の事故の状況が悪化する危険性は残っている。何かあった時、すぐに避難できない弱者こそ、他の村民より優先して避難させるべきだ」と指摘する。
村と避難先などを調整する国の「原子力被災者生活支援チーム」は「入所者をどこに避難させるか、避難させないかも含め調整中」としている。【和田武士、小泉大士、桐野耕一】
◇国が最終判断
田村圭子新潟大教授（災害福祉）の話 入所者で避難できる人は、症状に応じて段階的に避難させた方が良い。もし、入所者が施設に残る場合は、介護に関わる職員の健康状態も十分注意が必要だ。難しい問題だが、医学的見地から一人一人の入所者の移動の可否を専門家がみたうえで国が最終判断するしかない。
英訳毎日新聞 2011年4月27日 10時51分（最終更新 4月27日 12時44分）
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