The government will upgrade the classifications of some medical institutions that have low air-pressure sickrooms to deal better with any outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, health minister Chikara Sakaguchi said Tuesday.
The government has separate designations for medical centers that deal with infectious diseases. A Type 1 designation is given to facilities that can handle the most serious diseases, including bubonic plague and Ebola hemorrhagic fever, while those equipped to deal with serious alimentary illnesses, including cholera, are given a Type 2 designation.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will urge prefectural governors to upgrade any Type 2 institutions that meet such conditions as having low air-pressure single-patient sickrooms, which help curb the spread of viruses.