CoronavirusJapan hospitals slammed after underestimating third COVID wave
Lack of flexibility results in too few beds for coronavirus patients
Medical staff at Kindai University Hospital in Osaka admit a severely ill coronavirus patient. (Photo courtesy of Kindai University Hospital) © Kyodo
YUSUKE KONISHI and MIWA YOSHIDA, Nikkei staff writers
January 6, 2021 07:50 JST
TOKYO -- Hospitals in areas of Japan hit hard by a resurgent coronavirus outbreak are struggling to accommodate patients, despite far lower case numbers and more beds than in Europe or the U.S. A failure to adjust excessively rosy assumptions as facts on the ground changed is partly responsible for the situation.