OSAKA - Izumisano City in Osaka has taken a concrete step toward establishing a “baby hatch,” sending municipal officials to observe operations at Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto, the first institution in Japan to introduce the service 18 years ago.
Izumisano Mayor Chiyomatsu Daiko said in May that he views the baby hatch as the last line of protection for newborns whose parents cannot raise them, adding that the city intends to move steadily toward realizing the plan. The municipality aims to install the facility at Rinku General Medical Center, allowing infants to be anonymously placed into care when parents are unable to look after them due to various circumstances.
Ahead of the November 25th visit, Chiyomatsu expressed hopes that staff would learn from the hospital’s extensive experience, noting that discussions with the Jikei leadership would help clarify how Rinku General Medical Center could implement a similar system.
On November 26th, a delegation of 19 people from Izumisano City and Rinku General Medical Center visited Jikei Hospital, where nurses and doctors explained the procedures that take place after a baby is entrusted. Participants said the scale of the operation was greater than expected and that hearing about nearly two decades of accumulated practice carried significant weight.
Izumisano plans to submit a supplementary budget to the city assembly in December, adding 300 million yen to the existing 800 million yen set aside for research and preparation. If approved, the city hopes to begin operating the facility as early as the next fiscal year. Should the plan be realized, it would become only the third such installation nationwide.
However, Jikei Hospital Chairman Hasuda Ken, who received the visiting delegation, cautioned that government-led implementation poses steep challenges. He recalled that when Jikei launched the baby hatch 18 years ago, the initiative was hospital-driven and neither the national government nor Kumamoto City was especially receptive. Hasuda said he hopes Izumisano can become a breakthrough case, but stressed that ensuring anonymity is the most difficult issue, noting that public services in their current form generally require disclosure of name, address, and other identifying information.
Izumisano also intends to accept “confidential births,” allowing mothers to give birth without revealing their identity outside the hospital. How the city will manage these sensitive operations under a government-led framework is expected to draw continued attention.
Source: MBS
