LDP, Komeito, Nippon Ishin Agree to Reduce Hospital Beds

   Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) agreed Thursday to remove up to 110,000 redundant hospital beds across the country, in an effort to reduce social security costs.
   The three parties will formalize the agreement soon, aiming to include the reduction in the government's upcoming economic and fiscal policy guidelines, which will be adopted in June.
   Nippon Ishin estimates that reducing 110,000 hospital beds would save around 1 trillion yen in medical costs. "The three parties share the same recognition (about the effect of reducing hospital beds)," Ryohei Iwatani, secretary-general of the party, told reporters after meeting with officials from the LDP and Komeito earlier on the day.
   "We have reached an agreement (on the reduction of hospital beds)," former health minister Norihisa Tamura of the LDP said. "It doesn't make sense to maintain unnecessary beds."
   The three parties also agreed to raise the adoption rate of electronic medical records to 100 pct within the next five years.

(2025/05/29-18:29)