A total of 46 medical facilities in Kumamoto Prefecture had reported damage following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck southwestern Japan on July 28, while no drug makers or wholesalers had reported any damage as of 10:00 p.m., according to the health ministry.
Among the affected medical facilities, 15 were in Yatsushiro, followed by 10 in Uki and four in Kumamoto. Water outages were reported at 37 facilities, while 11 experienced power outages.
Although media reports have confirmed damage to roads, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) said it had not yet received information indicating disruptions to pharmaceutical distribution. However, officials acknowledged at a press briefing that the damage could eventually affect medicine logistics.
Govt, MHLW Set Up Disaster Response Headquarters
Following the earthquake, the government established an emergency disaster response headquarters and held its first meeting.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed ministries and agencies to work closely with local governments, quickly assess the overall extent of the damage and devote maximum efforts to emergency response activities, including rescue operations.
The MHLW subsequently convened its own disaster response headquarters. Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno instructed senior ministry officials to give top priority to four areas: rapidly assessing damage through all available channels, including local governments and relevant organizations, prioritizing lifesaving efforts by deploying Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) and Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs) while coordinating the availability of medical institutions to receive patients, strengthening welfare support for affected facilities and evacuation centers, and establishing a public-private support framework to secure medical supplies and other emergency response materials.
