Koichi Tanigawa, et al., report that the tragic events that befell hospital inpatients and elderly people in the emergency evacuation after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 11, 2011. Before the earthquake and tsunami that preceded the nuclear accident, there were eight hospitals and 17 nursing care facilities located within a 20 km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The estimated numbers of hospital inpatients and elderly people in nursing facilities at that time were about 1240 and 980, respectively. On March 11, the huge earthquake and tsunami severely damaged the number 1, 2, 3, and 4 reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The national government issued a State of Atomic Emergency in the evening of that day and evacuation was ordered for residents who lived within a 2 km radius of the plant. The evacuation area was expanded to a 10 km radius the following morning. After the first explosion of the number 1 reactor in the afternoon of March 12 (later discovered to be a hydrogen explosion), the government ordered evacuation from a 20 km radius around the damaged power plant.
Most residents rushed to leave by car or by buses chartered by the government, and evacuation of hospital inpatients had been arranged and was being put into action. However, the situation at the nuclear plant continued to deteriorate, and in the evening of March 13, it was estimated that 840 patients in hospitals or nursing care facilities remained within a 20 km radius of the plant. Later that evening, the government ordered emergency evacuation for all patients in the area. The dawn of March 14 therefore saw the beginning of a hurried transportation of these patients to a screening site in Minamisoma city, 26 km northwest of the plant. Medical personnel did not accompany the patients during transportation. Bed-ridden patients were laid down on the seats, wrapped in protective gowns. During transportation, some patients suffered trauma by falling from the seats of the vehicles.
Evacuation continued late into the night (figure). As the situation at the damaged plant became more volatile, the evacuation became more rushed and patients were transported by police vehicles as well. The vehicles were packed full, not only with patients but also with residents who had missed the chance to evacuate on their own. Late at night on March 14, patients were required to leave the buses because admitting hospitals or facilities could not be found and the vehicles were required elsewhere. Eventually, the patients were temporarily housed at a meeting room of the Soso Health Care office in Minamisoma city, with no heaters or medical supplies. Many had to wait for more than 24 h before reaching admitting facilities.
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