Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday instructed his government to develop a system to operate what are known as hospital ships by January 2026.
On the same day, the government adopted a program for the introduction of hospital ships, which provide medical care at sea in the event of large-scale disasters or infectious disease outbreaks.
A law on the promotion of medical care using ships was put into effect last June to prepare for possible megaquakes along the Nankai Trough off the country's Pacific coast and beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The introduction program calls for using existing private-sector ships for the time being for transporting patients from disaster-affected areas and providing medical care near affected areas.
The government plans to conclude agreements with ship and transport operators, coordinate with medical organizations, and conduct related drills.
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