Society

Hospitals in Japan cut bonuses as coronavirus drives them into red

Jul 15 (Japan Times) - About a third of medical institutions are cutting summer bonuses to staff, a trade union said Monday, as many hospitals and clinics face a cash crunch, having had to delay routine treatments to make room for coronavirus patients.

The Japan Federation of Medical Worker's Unions said that out of 338 organizations surveyed, 115 were planning to cut bonuses below last year's levels. Summer bonuses decreased at 122 of the 354 medical institutions for which year-on-year comparisons were available, while only 42, or 11.9 percent, saw growth in bonuses.

Tough working conditions along with pay reductions could persuade more medical staff to retire early, said Kenichi Igarashi, a member of the union's executive committee.

Although serious COVID-19 cases have abated, the epidemic brought the nation's medical system to the brink of collapse in April and May, as patients filled intensive care units and hospitals dealt with internal outbreaks.

"Hospitals that take in COVID-19 patients are especially hard hit financially, which is truly a sad thing," said Fumie Sakamoto, the infection control manager at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo. "The future doesn't look bright, especially in Tokyo since the number of new cases is on the rise again."

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