Medical and Welfare Services

●If you become ill ●Emergency ●Nursing Care Insurance Plan

●Hospitals and clinics ●Interpreter service at hospitals ●Suita Municipal Health Center

●Medical consultation and other services for foreign residents ●Comprehensive Regional Support Center

●If you become ill

Bring your Certificate of Health Insurance and some money to a hospital or clinic that treats your symptoms. It is recommended that you have a friend who can speak Japanese go with you.

Outpatient hours

Outpatient hours depend on the hospital or clinic, but are often on weekday mornings. Most hospitals are closed on Sundays and National holidays. Check via phone before visiting the hospital.

If you become ill on holidays or after hours, visit one of the designated emergency hospitals or an emergency clinic. Few hospitals, except for dentists, use a reservation system. Outpatients are usually treated in the order of reception. At large hospitals, you may have to wait a long time.

Procedures for medical consultation

(1) Reception: Submit your Certificate of Health Insurance at the reception counter, report your symptoms and desired department, and follow the instructions of the hospital staff.

(2) Pay desk: Pay your consultation fee at the pay desk. If you have not joined any health insurance plan, you must pay the full amount of the consultation fee.

(3) Pharmacy： After the consultation, receive a prescription at the hospital, pay your fee at the pharmacy, and receive your medicine. Since no description of the medicine in foreign languages is on the package, please listen to the details from the pharmacist when you receive the medicine.

●Emergency

In case of sudden illness or accident, dial 119. Say “Kyukyu-desu” (I need an ambulance) in Japanese, report the address, name, and condition of the victim, and wait for the ambulance on the street.

Emergency Medical Care Center

Emergency patients can receive medical care on days when ordinary medical institutions are closed. In principle, medication for a single day is provided. Do not forget to bring your Certificate of Health Insurance with you. Since the clinic does not support foreign languages, be sure to go with a person who can speak Japanese.

Toyono Regional Pediatric Emergency Medical Center

This is an after-hours emergency medical center for children (under 15 years of age) for symptoms that do not require hospitalization. Pediatricians from the medical association, Osaka University Hospital, and the National Cardiovasculture Center provide medical care. Since the clinic does not support foreign languages, be sure to go with a person who can speak Japanese. Applicable medical certificates such as the Certificate of Health Insurance and the Infant Medical Care Certificate are required.

★Caution

The following cases are not covered by public health insurance:

・Normal pregnancy, delivery, health checkups, vaccinations, etc.

・Receiving medical care without showing the Certificate of Health Insurance and resulting in payment in full

On a later day, bring your receipt, statement, and Certificate of Health Insurance to City Hall (National Health Insurance Plan) or the social insurance office or the health insurance union that supervises your workplace (Social Insurance Plan) to claim reimbursement. The amount to be covered by the applicable health insurance plan is refunded. When moving out of the City, you must return your Certificate of Health Insurance to City Hall and apply for a Certificate of Health Insurance at your new municipal office.

●Nursing Care Insurance Plan 【Nursing Care Insurance Division】

Foreign residents aged over 40 years who have stayed in Japan for more than one year since the date of Alien Registration are responsible for joining the Nursing Care Insurance Plan. People between 40 and 64 years old who  joined the Health Insurance are insured. People aged over 65 years are notified by City Hall. If you need nursing care, submit an application at City Hall, and receive the qualification. Then you can use nursing care services. You must pay 10% of the total service fee.
Contact the following for more information:

●Hospitals and clinics

※ Before visiting a medical institution, check the required department for the patient's symptoms, outpatient hours, and availability of medical consultation in the patient's language.

●Interpreter service at hospitals (Free)

If you need an interpreter, submit an application at the reception counter of Suita Municipal Hospital, Saiseikai Suita Hospital, and Saiseikai Senri Hospital. You can have a volunteer interpreter attend your medical consultation for free. Contact the following for more information:

●Suita Municipal Health Center

Various types of health checks and health education programs are available. Contact the following for more information:

Medical checkup (inspection) programs

●Medical consultation and other services for foreign residents

The following medical organization provides medical contact list for foreign residents.

●Comprehensive Regional Support Center

This center was established to support the elderly from different perspectives of nursing and medical care. It provides different kinds of services including the following: care prevention management where plans are made to prevent the elderly from becoming in need of nursing; comprehensive consultation of home welfare services; advocacy for the elderly such as prevention of elder abuse; and networking with different regional organizations.