Japan Press Weekly

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2014 September 3 - 9 [WELFARE]

Local JCP contributes to expanding free medical service for children

Pushed by local residents and the Japanese Communist Party, the mayor of Aikawa Town in Kanagawa Prefecture announced that his town will exempt all children up to the ninth grade from paying medical fees starting in April next year.

Mayor Onozawa Yutaka made public this policy on September 2 during a plenary session of the town assembly in response to an interpellation by JCP assemblyperson Inoue Hiroaki.

At present, the town provides free medical service for children up to the sixth grade. According to the mayor’s announcement, this program will cover all 1,500 junior high school students as well.

The JCP assemblypersons group has annually requested the town head to make the necessary increase in the budget to expand the coverage of the program. In December last year, JCP Inoue argued at the town assembly that the municipality should do this as soon as possible.

In June this year, Onozawa was elected as the town leader with a promise to increase the amount of subsidies for the free medical program. Shortly after that, JCP members including assemblypersons held talks with Onozawa, demanding that he carry out his campaign promise starting the next fiscal year.

Past related article:
> JCP city mayor decides to extend free medical service to 18-year-old children [March 27, 2014]