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2012 February 8 - 14 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Action launched calling for free medical care for children in Fukushima

Citizens’ actions calling for free medical care for children in Fukushima was launched, women’s groups announced at a press conference on February 9 in Tokyo.

The press conference was organized by Kasai Kimiyo, President of the New Japan Women’s Association, and Murakami Hiromi, Fukushima mothers’ group to protect children from radiation.

Disregarding the demand of citizens in Fukushima calling for free medical services for children who are 18 years old or younger, Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko postponed taking such a measure. Fukushima Governor Sato Yuhei stated that the government decision is “quite regrettable” and announced that his prefecture will set up its own system to provide free medical services for children.

At a press conference, Kasai said, “The national government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. are responsible for creating people’s anxieties concerning their health. Free medical care for children under 18 years old should be the bare minimum requirement in response to the health-related anxieties being experienced by Fukushima residents.”

The action calls on citizens to use the Internet to urgently send their requests for free medical care for Fukushima’s children to the prime minister’s office and media organizations in February and March during Diet budgetary deliberations.

Murakami at the press conference said, “The school my child goes to restricts students to a maximum of 2 hours of activities outdoors. Although the school site was decontaminated, children still walk to/from the school via a road where the radiation level is more than 1 μSv/h.

“Encouraged by various citizens’ actions such as the success of the October 30 local rally against nuclear power plants, the prefectural government’s adoption of a resolution calling for the decommissioning of local reactors, and more than 100,000 signatures collected to protect children from radiation, we have continued to have hope and continued with our lives in Fukushima. However, our hopes for responsible action were diminished by Prime Minister Noda’s announcement at the end of last year that the nuclear accident is under control and by his recent decision to postpone making a decision to provide free medical services to children in Fukushima.

“The government states that it is difficult to recognize minor health problems, such as colds and bone fractures, as being related to the nuclear accident and cover the medical costs. However, for nearly one year since the accident, children have not been able to go outside to play as much as before. With their weakening physical strength and immune systems associated with lack of physical activity, they are injured or have colds more often than before. We cannot say that their conditions are not related to the nuclear accident.

“Our anxiety for children’s health is not just a Fukushima problem but is a concern shared by all mothers. We hope that the action calling for free medical care for children will spread from Fukushima to throughout the nation.”