TOKYO -- Japan's major shipbuilders have been maneuvering behind the scenes to win a contract to build the country's first hospital ship as the coronavirus pandemic threatens to create a shortage of patient beds on land.
Japan inched closer to commissioning a hospital ship, earmarking 70 million yen ($655,000) for a feasibility study in a broader supplementary budget passed last week. Shipbuilding companies have stepped up lobbying efforts to build the ships since March.
