Steps to prevent heatstroke deaths needed

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Steps to prevent heatstroke deaths needed

Representatives of the National Association for Safeguarding People's Life and Health (Zenseiren) on August 23 made representations to the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) to take measures to prevent heatstroke, currently causing many deaths.

In the past 30 days, more than 300 people died of heatstroke during the continued heat wave. Many of them were low income elderly people who lived alone.

Zenseiren demanded that METI should force each power company to adhere to the "2002 Directives" to take flexible responses to stopping of power supply to needy people who have been in arrears in payment of electric bills.

Zenseiren also demanded that government officials visit those with delinquent accounts at home to find out their actual conditions and that the ministry give low-income earners a grant for the installment of an air-conditioner, its repair charges, or electric bill payments as well as instruct power companies to reduce electric bill payment for the poor.

Zenseiren Secretary General Tsujii Seiji said that some power companies do not even know about the "2002 Directives".

A METI official replied, "We will again remind power companies of the '2002 Directives'."

- Akahata, August 24, 2010