Photo/Illutration The Air Self-Defense Force’s Blue Impulse precision flying team passes over Tokyo Tower in the capital to show gratitude for medical workers working during the coronavirus pandemic on May 29. (Teruo Kashiyama)

Kaibara Ekiken (1630-1714), a Neo-Confucianist philosopher who also studied medicine, stated in his mid-Edo Period (1603-1867) work "Yojokun" (The Book of Self-nourishing Principles): "I wa jinjutsu nari" (Medicine is a benevolent art.)

A proponent of humanistic medicine, Kaibara urged doctors to focus on their noble mission of saving their patients and not to think only of their personal gain.

But while Kaibara preached against pursuing monetary profit, he did not say it was wrong to seek some sort of reward.

I imagine he was hoping for a world where doctors, who work hard to heal those in their care, do not have to actively seek profit because their grateful patients would reward them anyway.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, I have come across media reports of front-line health care workers who are practicing genuine humanistic medicine.

A former nurse returned to work out of the desire to serve people in need. A doctor asked his wife to take care of their children in the event of his contracting the virus or worse.

Because of these selfless health care professionals, it pains me greatly that many hospitals have fallen into financial straits from taking in COVID-19 patients while their "general" patients decreased.

The aggregate losses suffered by 133 university hospitals around the nation reached 31.3 billion yen ($293.2 million) for April and May alone.

Working conditions for their staff are deteriorating, and some hospitals have decided to forgo the payment of bonuses to their nurses and others this summer.

"I wa sanjutsu" (Medicine is arithmetic) is an expression hurled with contempt at doctors whose primary interest lies in making money.

However, for health care professionals to survive, their paychecks do matter. I understand that the government will be issuing them special bonuses, but I wonder if that will really help.

One thing we must never become is a society where kindness is repaid with ingratitude.

The government's "Go To Travel" campaign kicks off on July 22 to the tune of 1.35 trillion yen in taxpayer money, some of which will be used to cover cancellation fees that will produce no economic ripple effect to speak of.

Something seems amiss with the government's arithmetic here.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 22

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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