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Surgery room in chaos during major earthquake in Japan... Medical staff protected patient with their bodies (Video)
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Surgery room in chaos during major earthquake in Japan... Medical staff protected patient with their bodies (Video)

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Medical staff at a hospital in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, shielded a patient with their bodies during a magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
  • The incident occurred in an operating room on April 28, and footage was recently released.
  • Four surgeries were underway at the time; all patients recovered safely, and the hospital has since resumed normal operations.

Video footage has emerged showing medical professionals in Japan demonstrating remarkable dedication during a powerful earthquake. On April 28, when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near Kumamoto Prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu, operating room staff at Kumamoto General Hospital shielded a patient on the operating table with their own bodies.

The dramatic scene unfolded as the operating room equipment shook violently due to the seismic activity. The footage, released by NHK, also shows a nurse opening a door to secure an escape route. At the time of the earthquake, four surgeries were in progress. Fortunately, all procedures were completed without further complications, and the patients involved are reported to be safe.

Following the earthquake, the hospital faced disruptions, including a loss of water supply which rendered some medical equipment unusable. This led to a temporary suspension of outpatient services. However, after confirming the safety of their well water reserves, the hospital resumed normal medical services on April 5. Hospital director Shinya Shimada expressed his commitment to resuming services for the local community.

By resuming medical services, we can support the local community.

โ€” Shinya ShimadaThe hospital director's statement on resuming services for the local community after the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.