ロンドン便り

 Letter to Dr. Dipok No.2

Tokushukai Naze Hospital

English Conversation Club　

Koji Nakamoto and David Vick

 

Dear Doctor Dipok

 Thank you for your email of October 28^th 2011.

 We hope you are well, and we wish you a Happy New Year, of ‘The Dragon’! A powerful year!

At the end of October I had to go back suddenly to England my father died, my father was ninety four, and enjoyed his long exciting life. He was a Royal Air Force Wing Commander with many medals, a navigator in World War 2 his aircraft was the Mosquito, a famous fast wooden fighter bomber.  

 　Certainly there are some differences between the British National Health Service (NHS) and the Japanese ‘Universal Health Care System’.

 For example, it’s very hard to believe that some sophisticated and expensive drugs are only given to a lucky few people who win a lottery!

　Recently in our ‘English Club’ we are reading and translating some parts of ‘The Lancet’ medical Journal, it’s very difficult English!

 In the 2011 September edition, the main topic is ‘Japan: Universal Health Care at 50 Years’. It’s interesting for Japanese to read what foreign medical experts think about the Japanese Health System, some are good criticisms, some are not!

 Last year the Tokushukai Group and Englands’ Cambridge University started a big joint project to build a private hospital, next to Cambridge University hospital, and also a ‘medical tourism’ type hotel, and a medical training center.

 In mid December, the Cambridge project representative David Boyd came to Japan to meet the Tokushukai Group Director Torao Tokuda to see first hand, and then Amami Naze Tokushukai,Tokunoshima,Kakeroma, Okinawa Tokushukai Hospitals, and finally Osaka Tokushukai Hospitals.

 After this study tour to see the policies and cultural origins of the Tokushukai medical Group, Torao Tokuda hopes that Mr. David Boyd can make the best of his Japan trip, especially his visit to Amami, and help make the Cambridge Tokushukai project progress smoothiy.

 By the way, this year is the London Olympics, so we are very excited about it! Of course I am supporting Great Britain and Mr.Nakamo to Japan, my Japanese wife Japan, my three sons, I don’t know! My youngest son lives and works in London, I hope you can meet him someday!

 We would like to know the real story of the London Olympics preparations from yourself, not just Japanese mass media. For example are there any big problems with security, and finishing construction on time of Olympic stadium, facilities, traffic control, etc?

 We will send latest news from Naze Tokushukai Hospital next time!

 Hope you are fine, and having good weather, kind regards.  

Tokushukai Naze Hospital

English Conversation Club　

Koji Nakamoto and David Vick

 

Letter to Dr. Dipok No.1

Tokushukai Naze Hospital

English Conversation Club　

Koji Nakamoto and David Vick

 

Dear Doctor Dipok

 

 I hope you are in good health, and did not suffer from the terrible London riots!
 Regarding Tokushukai Naze Hospital, I was asked by Dr.Mitsumoto to email you the latest news from Tokushukai Naze Hospital, and Amami.

1.Tokushukai Naze held a ’health Festival’ on July 10th.

2.Obstetician and Gynecologisut Dr.Odagiri visited YamatoSon, Naon elementary school on July 22nd..

3.Tokushukai Naze staff  joined the Amami summer festival on August 12th and 15th

4.Mammary gland medical treatment special department for outpatient open from August

5.The 29th Tokushukai Amami Bloc residency workshop held on July 17th.

 I will give a detailed account from No1 to No3.

1.Tokushukai Naze Hospital held a ’health Festival’ on July 10th.
 

 It was held for the 14th time.
 There was a bazaar in the front of the Hospital, with stalls selling food and drinks, recycled goods, and a flower stall .
 Inside the Hospital, in the waiting area there was a Stage, and various acts took place, for example Hula dancers, Japanese folk songs, a small orchestra consisting of four Hospital staff and about eight other musicians played popular music. Our Hospital Director Dr.Matsuura sang a popular song too!
 Many smiling patients, and guests enjoyed the performance.

2.Obstetician and Gynecologisut Dr.Odagiri visited YamatoSon, Naon elementary school on July 22nd.

 He talked to the students about the origins of human life, the birth process, delivery and baby care in general, explaining in easy terms the pattern of a babys’ growth.
 Dr.Odagiri said he hoped that some of the children in Amami, will in future grow up to be intested in medical care and maybe even becoming nurses themselves.
     
3.Tokushukai Naze staff joined the Amami summer festival on  August 12th and 15th.
 The Amami summer festival parade was held on August 12th.
Many Naze Hospital staff wore Tokushyukai Happi costumes, joined the procession, it was a very windy rainy day, effected by Typhoon 9.
 Tokushukai Naze Hospital staff joined the Amami summer festival dragon row boat race, four women were on one boat, and four men on the other. The men’s boat was named ‘ Tiger’ and the women’s boat was named ‘ Tigress’. The boat race was 160 teams men, 65 teams women, a tournament system. The men’s team won 1st heat for the first time and the women’s team also won their 1st heat, both teams lost their second race! The next day, all the members had muscle ache!
 Next year the will try again!

 We residents of Amami are becoming quite excited about the 2012 London Olympics, and the Japanese have high hopes for the womens’ national Soccer team, ‘Nadeshiko Japan’. As you know they became world champions recently, beating the USA .
 We hope the recent disturbances in London and other U.K. cities, will not deter people from visiting London next year!   
 
 Finally, if you would like to ask any specific question, even medical related ones, I will do my best to get the answers from my friends here at Naze Tokushukai Hospital, Mr.Nakamoto, the leader of my English club, and a pharmacist,would like to know what your hobbies are, and where you live now.

 By the way, I and Mr.Nakamoto, plus a staff drummer, are practicing guitar and bass together, and hope to form a Naze Tokushukai group band.
 Dr. Dipok, what kind of music do you like, and do you have any favorite Japanese performers ?
 Also, are there any big medical breakthroughs in Britain recently ? Mr.Nakamoto would like to know how is the National Health system these days ? We hear that it has many problems now !

Tweet

Dear ALL,
Hope all of you are doing well. Our hearts ache for the victims of the
terrible disaster! We are completely aghast at the unbelievably cruel scenes
we have seen on the TV and at the extent of damages being gradually
unfolded. The situation surrounding nuclear power stations are also
worrying. We are watching the NHK world service everyday and praying for a
quick return to the normal life in Japan.

We hope that the strong determination of the Japanese people will overcome
this difficult situation as soon as possible. We can only wish to be there
to help the victims.

Our heartfelt sympathy is always with you.

Take care.

Dipok & Mousumi
Orpington, London

I was fortunate enough to spend last summer at Naze and Tokunoshima Tokushukai Hospitals as a final year medical student. During this productive time, I was able to participate in a variety of different clinical activities, and to immerse myself in the beauty and culture of the Amami region. Everybody I met made me feel extremely welcome, and it was a valuable experience to learn about the Tokushukai group’s humanitarian ethos. Upon my return to England, I put the lessons I learned in Japan into practice and was able to graduate from medical school in July of this year. Thanks to my time at Tokushukai, and to the encouragement and support I received from the many new friends I made, I had the honour of graduating top of my year. I was awarded the University of London, King’s College Gold Medal, the Todd Prize in Clinical Medicine, and the Haberdashers’ Prize in Clinical Medicine. I am currently working in the department of paediatrics at King’s College Hospital, one of London’s largest teaching hospitals. The hospital provides comprehensive health care and emergency services to a very diverse community. As a consequence, I see a very varied and interesting number of cases, and am enjoying my time here. While my present surroundings are very different from Naze and Tokunoshima, the wonderful learning opportunities I had while in Amami have stayed with me. I would like to thank the Tokushukai Group from the bottom of my heart. I miss you all and hope to return soon!

Hello, I am Dipok Dhar from London and am well known as ‘Dipokku’ among my Japanese friends. I would like to introduce myself as a well-wisher and devoted worker for the Tokushukai family. I spent about 16 years in Shimane Medical University and came to know about Tokushukai through Mitsumoto sensei. I was amazed by the glorious story of Tokuka Torao sensei and his enthusiasm for the creation of Tokushukai as an independent institute. At the same time, I felt unlucky for not being familiar with the Tokushukai organization before I met Mitsumoto Sensei. Having said that, I was indeed lucky to join the Tokushukai family in August 2005 when I had already decided to relocate from Japan to the UK and, in fact, I had the best time in Amami in my life and will never forget the friendly people of Tokushukai.
Currently, I am involved in the research wing of the University College of London, UK and working with the most famous liver transplantation surgeon in the Europe named Max Malago. By the way, I had the opportunity to work with the most famous Japanese liver surgeon named Naofumi Nagasue during my stay in Izumo, Shimane. I am now working hard to get the medical license in the UK to work in the clinic. Do not forget to keep your fingers crossed for me. I have a dream to spread out the name and fame of Tokushukai all over the world and implement the great slogan of Tokuda sensei ; ‘People are created equal ‘. Nothing could be better than this in someone’s motto. We have already initiated an exchange programme of medical students/doctors between the Tokushukai and London and, last year, Miss Sandra Lauber visited the Amami hospitals and she was amazed how Tokushukai is efficiently delivering the most modern medical treatment in a remote island setting. We hope, in future our Japanese friends in Tokushukai will visit London University as an ambassador of Tokushukai, gain experiences in clinical excellence and exchange the London experience with their colleagues in Japan.
Tokushukai has already expanded its global activities in different Asian countries as well as in the Europe (Bulgaria) and hope, in near future, we will have Tokushukai signboard in London as well. Being a life-time member of the Tokushukai family, I always pray for the well-being of Tokuda Sensei as well as all members of the Tokushukai. My Best wishes from London.