The Guidelines for Prefectures to Utilize Mobile Medical Containers in the Event of Disaster

Introduction: The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan has been researching “The Use of Mobile Medical Containers in Large-Scale Disaster” under the Koido Research Team, and as part of the research, is preparing draft guidelines to deploy and standardize mobile medical containers in prefectures. Amid this preparation, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake occurred on January 1, 2024, and mobile medical containers were deployed and utilized in 11 locations in the affected area. In response, the government commissioned the Mobile Medical Container Promotion Council (MMCPC) to conduct a survey and compiled “The Report on the Deployment and Operation of Mobile Medical Containers in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024” (hereafter “the Report”.)Objective To clarify how the lessons learned from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake should be reflected in the draft guidelines being prepared. Methods: The study reviews the contents of the Report and discusses them with the MMCPC and other interested parties. Results: In the Report, the issues and recommendations from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake are described in Chapters 4 and 5. From these issues and recommendations, it became clear that the guidelines for the use of mobile medical containers should include the types of use as follows: 1)use at evacuation centers (single or multiple use), 2) supplemental functions for medical institutions (including supporter assistance, multiple use), 3)functions such as SCUs or coordination headquarters (multiple use). It was also confirmed that necessary tasks in line with the timeline, such as the occurrence of disasters, investigation, ordering, receiving orders, transportation, installation of facilities, medical care, and other related services, removal of facilities, or billing, need to be mentioned. Conclusion: Further considerations need to be continued to make the guidelines more useful in the future.