My First Medical Examination in Shibata Japan
Recently, I had my first ever medical examination in Shibata, Niigata Japan. As a Spouse of a Japanese citizen, I am entitled to have my free medical check-up in Japan. My husband is employed directly under Japan and all employees and or immediate family of an employee under Japan are entitled to have their own health care card. At the age of 33, I was granted to use my health care card, and I was assigned at Shibata Hospital to take my first medical examination. Shibata is a town located at Niigata and it is the nearest Hospital accepting health care card issued from the company of my husband.
I am writing this to give foreigners an insight into what is happening during the examination procedure if you decide to have a medical examination in Japan. Whether you are a bearer of a health care card or not the procedure for a general check-up is just the same. Below are the following steps we did during my medical examination.
First and foremost, my husband scheduled my medical examination via e-mail, the Shibata hospital sent the medical examination form at my husband’s house address in Japan with the date of my medical examination. On my medical examination day, my husband filled out the medical examination form for me as I cannot read Japanese Kanji on my medical form. My husband stays with me during and after the medical examination. My husband talks to all the Japanese nurses and doctors on behalf of me as there are words that still I cannot understand. On the form was my primary and personal information, questions are answerable by YES and NO about the lists of possible health problems. I was scheduled at 9:30 AM in Japan time. Together with my husband, we left the house at 8:45 AM and arrived at Shibata Hospital at nearly 9:00 AM.
When we arrived at the hospital, there is a nurse at the front desk that greeted us. We handed over my medical form and presented my health care card. After a few minutes, another nurse called me and gave me a cup for my urine test. I headed to the comfort room and there is a place just inside the comfort room where you can leave the cup with the urine. The cup has my name written on it. After they collected my urine sample, I was asked to stay in the waiting area. After about five minutes of waiting, they called me again and brought inside the medical room with two nurses; they did measure my height, weight, and waistline. They checked my blood pressure and pricked my vein to collect my blood sample.
After the nurses got my blood sample, we waited again at the waiting area for another five minutes. They called me again, and the doctor told us that he will need to evaluate my body to check if there is swelling in my body. They check my breathing with a stethoscope and they asked me to lie down to check my stomach. Then the doctor told us that they will send the result at my home address after the outcome of my examination is done.
Shibata hospital is located in the mountainous province of Niigata prefecture of Japan and most of the people there are leaving the area. They moved to the city of Niigata for better survival. There are very few patients during our visits to the hospital so we finish so fast. Once my medical result arrived I will update this article.