I was appointed director of Oita University Hospital on April 1st, 2020. I am a urologist specializing in minimally invasive surgery, genitourinary cancer, lower urinary tract dysfunction, and renal failure. Although I am a full-time hospital director, I also work as much as possible in the urological division.
In April 1981, Oita University Hospital was established as a hospital attached to Oita Medical University’s Faculty of Medicine. The number of beds has increased from 321 at the time of opening to 618 by the 40th anniversary of the hospital this year. Various related organizations were formed, such as the Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Center, the Advanced Medical Promotion Center for Dementia, the Clinical Biomedical Engineering Center, and the Advanced Molecular Imaging Center. The assembled team is appropriate to enable our hospital to provide advanced treatment. This hospital has performed minimally invasive therapies since the introduction of these techniques into Japan, such as laparoscopic surgery, interventional radiology, and aortic stent placement, with many achievements in each of these fields. In particular, gastrointestinal surgeons and physicians have been involved in education in Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Thailand), Russia, and Saudi Arabia through their practical guidance on gastrointestinal endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery.
Since 2010, the hospital has been working on maintenance and improvement projects, which were finally completed in 2019. To promote advanced minimally invasive therapies, which is a distinguished characteristic of this hospital, the number of operating rooms were increased from 10 to 15. We have arranged dedicated operating rooms for hybrid operations and laparoscopic surgery, which will enhance endovascular treatments and robotic-assisted surgery, respectively. These rooms will be used to develop new advanced treatments utilizing artificial intelligence technologies in the future. In addition, we have expanded the radiological department, intensive care unit, blood purification center, and rehabilitation department, among others. We would like to further improve our medical equipment to meet the needs of Oita Prefecture’s citizens. We have also improved our inpatient wards, which have become more spacious, and the number of private rooms has increased. We will continue to enhance our amenities so that our patients can live more comfortably in our hospital.
The Oita University School of Medicine established the first clinical pharmacology course in Japan. Based on this course, we have also established a clinical pharmacology center, a clinical trial management center, and a comprehensive clinical research center. We are working to promote clinical research and develop new drugs. In addition, the Center for Advanced Medical Care for Dementia, which was established in 2015, is promoting the development of early diagnostic methods and therapeutic agents for dementia using PET-CT with the cooperation of local residents and the government. In addition, an Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Center was opened in 2012 and has been equipped with a heliport. A helicopter ambulance is now ready to transport emergency cases from almost the entire area of Oita Prefecture to the hospital within about 30 minutes. This hospital plays an active role as the last bastion to protect the lives of the citizens of Oita Prefecture.
This hospital dispatches doctors to most regional core hospitals in Oita Prefecture. To maintain and develop regional medical care in Oita Prefecture, cooperation between this hospital and related hospitals, medical associations, and the government is indispensable. Therefore, we plan to deepen our exchanges with these organizations in the future. In addition, this hospital strives to educate medical staff, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, clinical laboratory technicians, radiological technologists, clinical engineers, and therapists. We would like to actively dispatch our medical staff domestically and internationally to cultivate medical personnel with an international perspective to contribute to medical care in Oita Prefecture.
The philosophy of this hospital is to practice “the best patient-oriented medical care” and all our staff continue to strive to make this hospital trusted by everyone. We provide safe and secure advanced medical care to everyone in Oita Prefecture and we will also develop new diagnostic and therapeutic methods for intractable diseases.
In the second year of Reiwa, the violence caused by COVID-19 has swept the world. The new coronavirus has had a significant impact on not only medical care, but also the economy, politics, and the state. To protect the health of the residents of Oita Prefecture, this hospital will provide regular medical care and respond appropriately to new coronavirus infections. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would like to thank everyone for their continued cooperation with and support of Oita University Hospital.