From students at the Okazaki Primary School
Messages for the passengers being accommodated were obtained from the students at the Okazaki Primary School, located just across from Okazaki Medical Center.
After all the passengers left our Center, students from other Primary Schools were treated for scratches they received from contact with walls or other causes. One student in Class 2 of the Sixth Grade said, “the people who were infected [with coronavirus] had it worse than me.” They convinced students in other classes and entire grades to work with them write the messages.
Some examples of the messages sent by each class.
The graduating students of the Okazaki Primary School were thanked for their messages
At the graduation ceremony held at the Okazaki Primary School on March 19, an area was created for the purpose of posting messages of appreciation for the students’ messages to the passengers. Hospital Director, Zenichi Morise, Lecturer, Masamichi Hayashi of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, and Assistant Professor, Seiichiro Tsuzuki of the Department of Emergency and General Internal Medicine were joined by members of the nursing staff and administrative staff. In all, 12 staff members visited the Okazaki Primary School.
Hospital Director, Morise had already expressed his appreciation for the students’ messages at the press conference, and the teachers at the Okazaki Primary School – on whom this had left a deep impression – planned to have the members of the Okazaki Medical Center staff attend the graduation ceremony.
Hospital Director, Morise expressed his appreciation to the students’ parents and guardians as well as the teaching staff. He also presented the students with tulips in appreciation for their compassion, as in Japan, the tulip is the symbol of “compassion”. The university teaching staff also expressed their appreciation for the students’ efforts and presented them with flowers as a token of gratitude.
From the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
【 LETTER 】
To all of those at the Okazaki Medical Center who met the challenge of caring for the passengers:
Upon receiving an urgent request from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, you all cared for the COVID-19 patients and their companions.
Thank you for providing them with untiring care, both day and night, while at the same time maintaining stringent infection-prevention measures.
I would like to express my deep appreciation to the University for displaying decisiveness, even under circumstances in which there are a variety of views regarding the care of coronavirus patients.
Although we realize the burden the entire staff has been under, we hope that you will continue in your laudable efforts.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare looks forward to cooperating in the future with the City of Okazaki and Aichi Prefecture should it become necessary to care for additional patients in the future.
February 23, 2020
Katsunobu Kato, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
From the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
March 31, 2020
Fujita Health University Okazaki Medical Centre
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
To the Hospital Director:
We sincerely thank you for your continued support.
We express our deep appreciation for the care provided by your hospital to the Filipino crew members of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where a cluster outbreak of the novel coronavirus occurred.
[partially abridged]
We deeply appreciate the care provided by the attending physicians, all of the medical personnel, and all the staff members who provided care and support to the Filipino crew members during their hospitalization and recuperation.
In this spirit, Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V and Labour Attache Marie Rose C. Escalada present you with this Certificate of Appreciation.
In the midst of this unprecedented event, the medical staff of the Okazaki Medical Center will likely face even further challenges. As we once again express our appreciation for your efforts, we also pray that you remain safe and that your hospital is successful in the future.
From the Passengers (a sample)
We would like to express our deep appreciation for the care the Okazaki Medical Center provided to us. We were able to spend 13 days in complete comfort and without any inconveniences at a brand new facility that had yet to be opened to the public thanks to the thoughtfulness of the nursing staff. Both myself and my wife tested negative twice and we were able to be discharged today. I wish we were able to see you in person to express our appreciation, but since that is not possible, we hope that you will accept this letter of thanks instead. In conclusion, we pray for the health and well-being of the entire hospital staff as well as success for the hospital once it has formally opened. Thank you very much..
We received kind support and donations from many corporations and residents
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Aichi Prefectural Government, the Tokai-Hokuriku Welfare Bureau, Toyokawa Public Health Center, Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya Quarantine Station, COARSE STARS (ZARAME), Bizen-ya, Maruya Hacho Miso Co., Ltd., Ota oil Co., Ltd., Kakukyu Hatcho Miso Limited Partnership, Ikomagumi, Okazaki Shinkin Bank, Eiya Nyugyo, Aichi Prefecture Dental Association, NTT Docomo, Okazaki City Young Farmers’ Group, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Neutraceuticals Division, Shirai Co., Ltd., Boy Scouts Inazawa No. 9, Nagoya Consulate of the People’s Republic of China, Hayashi Trading Company, Hekikai Shinkin Bank, Kyoto Kamogawa ICLS volunteers, Sankyu, Sugi Holdings, Chubu Gyunyu, TSUTAYA, FamilyMart, Marsanai, Domi, Ohara Kensetsu, Ito Co., Ltd., Nagatanien, Shima City Aosa Manufacturing volunteers, Toyota Group Semiconductor Technology Research Association (Toyota Motor Cororation, DENSO Corporation, DENSO TEN Limited., TOKAI RIKA CO., LTD., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Aisin Seiki Co., Aisin Software Co., Ltd., TOYODA GOSEI Co., Ltd., TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION, Toyota Central R&D Labs., AISAN INDUSTRY CO., LTD., Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd., Mannoh Industrial Co., Ltd., Digital Development System, Inc., Komatsu Kaihatsu Kogyo, JTEKT Corporation, Pacific Industrial Co.,Ltd., Toyota Tsusho Corporation, TOYOTSU TECHNO CORPORATION, NEXTY Electronics Corporation, Toyotsu Machinery Corporation), Ikedaya Seika, CHEeVE (CONNESSO OKAZAKI), COMO Co., Ltd., Café+Dining Bar Mellows, Magokoro Co., Ltd., Tanizawa Foods, D.EN Co., Ltd., Nakajima kyuso Co.,Ltd. (Ginza Nishikawa), THE BANK OF NAGOYA,Ltd., Sagami Holdings Corporation, HOTSTAFF Corporation., Hogy Medical Co., Ltd., Meitetsu Kyosho Co., Ltd., Yakult Tokai Co.,Ltd., NUTRI Co.,Ltd., faveur marché Co., Ltd., Mie chemical industry Co., Ltd, Able-Yamauchi Co., Ltd., Tuktuktechno Co.,Ltd., Suzuki Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Zent Co., Ltd., Daiwa Chemical Industries Co., Ltd., Takehiro Co., Ltd., TOKAI OPTICAL CO.,LTD., Fujiken Co., Ltd., Fuji Fine Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Okazaki factory, Okazaki Public Health Center, Okazaki Fire Department, Japanese Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Nippon General Foods, Alfa Co., Ltd., Airweave Co., Ltd., Koyama Shokai, Docomo CS Tokai, Tiger Sogyo.
The staff at the Fujita Health University, representatives of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Tokai-Hokuriku Welfare Bureau, employees of the Prefectural Government of Aichi Prefecture, and staff members from the Okazaki Public Health Center and the Okazaki Fire Department who cared for the passengers (not all participating staff members are shown here; photographed after all passengers were discharged)
Acceptance of patients did not lead to any secondary infections of the staff. We offer our sincere appreciation for everyone’s support in this accomplishment.