Independent Electric Power Research Articles

Hospital disaster preparedness in Osaka, Japan.

To investigate the adequacy of hospital disaster preparedness in the Osaka, Japan area. Questionnaires were constructed to elicit information from hospital administrators, pharmacists, and safety personnel about self-sufficiency in electrical, gas, water, food, and medical supplies in the event of a disaster. Questionnaires were mailed to 553 hospitals. A total of 265 were completed and returned (Recovery rate; 48%). Of the respondents, 16% of hospitals that returned the completed surveys had an external disaster plan, 93% did not have back-up plans to accept casualties during a disaster if all beds were occupied, 8% had drugs and 6% had medical supplies stockpiled for disasters. In 78% of hospitals, independent electric power generating plants had been installed. However, despite a high proportion of power-plant equipment available, 57% of hospitals responding estimated that emergency power generation would not exceed six hours due to a shortage of reserve fuel. Of the hospitals responding, 71% had reserve water supply, 15% of hospitals responding had stockpiles of food for emergency use, and 83% reported that it would be impossible to provide meals for patients and staff with no main gas supply. No hospitals fulfilled the criteria for adequate disaster preparedness based on the categories queried. Areas of greatest concern requiring improvement were: 1) lack of an external disaster plan; and 2) self-sufficiency in back-up energy, water, and food supply. It is recommended that hospitals in Japan be required to develop plans for emergency operations in case of an external disaster. This should be linked with hospital accreditation as is done for internal disaster plans.

電力需給と燃料の将来展望

The supply and demand for electric power in fiscal 1986 fell below the level for the preceding year for the first time in the past six years. This was mainly due to the considerable drop in the demand by the large consumers of electric power, the stagnation of mining and manufacturing activity because of the higher value of the yen, and the increasing rate of operation of independent electric power plants. However, the long-term view is that the electric power demand and supply will increase steadily with stable economic growth for the domestic demand in the main. In the future, thermal power from petroleum will decrease, while that for nuclear power will greatly increase.Petroleum fuels such as heavy fuel oils and crude oil are still used for the thermal power generation now, but the supply situation for petroleum is quite unstable. LNG is beset by the take or pay clause, while coal has the difficulties of handling for transportation, storage and con-sumption comparing with oil. The composition of power supply is being adjusted, taking these problems into account.As almost all of these fuels are procured abroad, it is important for the future procure-ment of fuel to have both stability and economy of supply, amidst the complicated diplomatic and political situations that exist with the supply countries. This will require that more effort be made to train staffs in charge of fuel having the ability to grasp the international situation ac-curately and speedily.