Japan-hospitals : the journal of the Japan Hospital Association
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The M9.0 great earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 triggered a huge tsunami on the Pacific coast in the Tohoku region and caused enormous damage, resulting in 15,854 deaths and 3,276 missing persons (as of March 1, 2012, according to the Japanese National Police Agency). Presently, inhabitants in Fukushima Prefecture continue to live as refugees because of radiation contamination caused by explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Immediately after the earthquake, DMATs (Disaster Medical Assistance Teams) went to the affected areas to begin relief operations. ⋯ However, since Hanamaki Airport in the inland area of Iwate Prefecture became usable starting in mid-May, we arrived in Hanamaki City by air and used a large taxi from the airport. In accordance with the recovery of local medical institutions, the Osaka Medical Association JAMT dispatch was to be terminated by the end of May. As a result, our team's itinerary was reduced to three days and two nights, leaving on the morning of May 27 (by air), and returning to Osaka on the evening of May 29 (by air).