E-mail
received from Ms. Satoko Nagae
of Kumamoto City
Medical Association
on
May 6, 2016, 10:10 p.m.
Subject:
About Earthquake Importance: High
Dear Hiroko,
As last 2 weeks Kumamoto City Medical Association Office
had been designated as Center to receive material donations for
earthquake damage to members working in medical facilities, we were
busy receiving products from all over Japan and distributing them to
many medical facilities and we were unable to do our regular work in
the office.
Damage to Kumamoto City Medical Association
building - 1st floor had very little damage except some shelves
fell down, however, on 5th floor where school of nursing is located
walls fell down and we cannot use the rooms on 5th floor now;
so laboratory rooms and auditorium on 2nd floor are being
used right now. The 5th floor where School of Nursing did not
look bad from outside but inside classrooms had very heavy damages.
Dr. Fukushima injured his left arm and still has a
support so it looks painful.
Some physicians had clinics in shopping centers
and the entire shopping center buildings were damaged and some of
them are unable to go in the buildings.
Some physicians were in old buildings and damaged very
bad. Also, grounds sank down in some area and buildings of
hospital and clinics went underground.
Mashiki City located east of Kumamoto City
received the worst damage. Almost all areas of the city were
damaged bad and people cannot live there.
Many clinics cannot operate and discussions to
repair will come up soon but it will take a long time to repair
them. Ground shake is still going on now and we feel that we
cannot be standing still.
Repair of Kumamoto Castle will take many
years. Water in the pond of Suizenji Park was drained. So
it will take a long time for people to have sightseeing of Kumamoto
City.
Satoko Nagae
