Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium

Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium, (National Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen) is a sanatorium for leprosy patients or ex-leprosy patients at Sumuide, Nago, Okinawa, Japan that was established in 1938.

National Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen
Geography
Location1192 Sumuide, Nago, Okinawa, Japan
Organisation
Care systemHealthCare of those who had leprosy
TypeNational hospital run by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
Services
Beds423 (Japanese health and medical law) and 309 (in-patients)
History
Opened1938
Links
Websitehttp://www.hosp.go.jp/~airakuen/
ListsHospitals in Japan

History

History before the sanatorium

Major changes

On November 10, 1938, the sanatorium first opened under the name "Okinawa Prefectural Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium." By April 1941 it was renamed and thus known as the National Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium.

  • Apr 25, 1946: Under American Military Government.
  • Apr 1, 1952: Ryukyu Government Kungami Airakuen.
  • Aug 26, 1961: Hansen's disease prevention law of Okinawa promulgated.
  • May 15, 1972: Okinawa returned to Japan. "National Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen"
  • Apr 1, 1996: The previous leprosy prevention law was abandoned.

Sanatorium and the War

Nearly 400 new leprosy patients were hospitalized by the Japanese army in September 1944 for a total of around 913 patients. This high population led to food deficiency, and housing conditions were miserable. When the Battle of Okinawa began in April 1945, sanatorium director Hiroshi Hayata allowed patients to leave in order to avoid the battle. By the end of April, American forces had occupied the sanatorium.

After the war
  • August 1945, the director of the army hospital visited the Sanatorium.
  • March 8, 1946, the "Yagaji Sanatorium", meaning the sanatorium on the Yagaji Island, became the restricted area.
  • In 1949, Dr.V.Scorebrand visited the Sanatorium, and tried to use promin.
  • In July, 1953, Dr.Doull visited Okinawa for two months and reported various recommendations concerning leprosy.
  • In March 1951, Okinawa "Save-Leprosy Patient" Association started.
  • In Feb 1954, the Jichi-kai(Patients' association) of the Airakuen started "Tomonokai", an association for those who were discharged from the Airakuen and Miyako Nanseien.
  • In Feb 1960, an outpatient clinic started in Naha City. Similar clinics were built later in Ishigaki -jima and Miyako -jima.
  • In March 1957, the Japanese Government started to send leprosy specialists to two Okinawan sanatoriums.
  • In 1967, Okinawan schoolchildren surveys were started.
  • Apr 1996:The 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law was abolished.
  • Jul 1998: The trial for compensation started.
  • May 11, 2001: The trial for compensation ruled that the previous Leprosy Prevention was unconstitutional.
  • May 25, 2001: The trial for compensation was confirmed. The compensation of 8,000,000 yen to 14,000,000 yen was given to patients depending on the duration of unconstitutional periods.

Number of patients
Year
[1]		 Number of
in-patients
1945657
1950881
1955909
1960936
1965755
1970670
1975655
1980697
1985641
1990583
1995539
1999472
Year
[2]		 Number of
in-patients
2003355
2004341
2005326
2006309
2007291
2008276
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See also

Notes
  1. Fukken eno Jitsugetsu (2001) Koyo Shuppansha Tokyo　p.374
  2. 2009,1,5

References
  • The transitions of the leprosy policy (1999) Kazuo Saikawa, Okinawa Leprosy Prevention Association. in Japanese.

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