Photo/Illutration Medical care professionals at a Saitama hospital treat a patient in the intensive care unit. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Patients' lives are being put at risk during the novel coronavirus pandemic as a survey of university hospitals found that about one-third had restricted use of intensive care units because of the health crisis

The online survey was conducted by the Association of Japan Medical Colleges (AJMC) on Aug. 5 and 6 through email questionnaires sent to all 82 university hospitals. Responses were obtained from 78 hospitals.

The results announced on Aug. 10 found that 27 university hospitals, or 35 percent of the responding institutions, had implemented restrictions on accepting patients in the ICUs. Another 18 university hospitals said there was a possibility they would impose restrictions in the future.

“We can assume that the situation is quickly approaching in which lives that in normal times would have been saved will no longer be,” said an AJMC official.

Of the responding hospitals, 25 were located in areas covered by the COVID-19 state of emergency, while another 25 were in prefectures where pre-emergency measures are in place.

Fifteen hospitals had also placed restrictions on accepting emergency patients, while 18 hospitals said there was the possibility such restrictions would be implemented in the future.

Nineteen hospitals had placed restrictions on the surgeries performed, while another 17 said that possibility was likely in the future.

Twenty hospitals had placed restrictions on accepting inpatients, while 16 said there was a possibility such limitations would be imposed at a later date.

Among the reasons given for the various restrictions were the strained medical care situation caused by the need to care for COVID-19 patients as well as infections among hospital staff.

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