Japan Press Weekly

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2016 November 16 - 22 [POLITICS]

Anti-TPP global action: Don’t use medical care services to feed greed

Hundreds of medical workers in Tokyo gathered on November 1 near the Lower House Dietmembers’ Office Building, shouting, “Don’t use medical care for moneymaking pursuits!”. The event took place in concert with the anti-TPP global day of action as called for by U.S. nurses and midwives.

They confirmed a joint statement issued by healthcare workers in eight countries, including the U.S. and Canada, in opposition to the multilateral free trade agreement. The statement argues that the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers will harm public health, labor standards, and consumer safety and will also exacerbate the problems associated with poverty.

Chairman of the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (Min-iren), Fujisue Mamoru warned, “The TPP will hamper people’s access to innovative drugs due to a possible increase in their prices and will bring benefits only to the pharmaceutical industry.

Miura Nobuko, secretary general of the Japan Federation of Medical Workers’ Unions (Iroren), said, “The pact will turn public healthcare services into a for-profit tool. As a medical professional working to protect people’s lives, I’ll make every possible effort to stop the TPP.”

Japanese Communist Party members of the House of Councilors Tamura Tomoko and Takeda Ryosuke appeared to encourage their day of action and gave them greetings in solidarity.

Past related articles:
> Concerns over TPP negotiations on generic drugs mounting worldwide [June 18, 2015]
> Pharmaceutical industry workers call on gov’t to give up TPP participation [March 24, 2012]
> TPP will debilitate Japan’s public healthcare system [October 27, 2011]
> Medical Association voices concerns over Japan’s entry into TPP [January 11, 2011]