The Maker Speaks
Welcome, Patients Esq.
What are Hospitals for?
What are Hospitals for?
In 2005 June, released was a Japanese live action comedy film "Welcome, Patients Esq." The Japanese original title was "Irasshaimase, Kanja-sama." Do you know anything about it? I consider that you have probably heard nothing. It didn't become a hit at all in Japan. How could it become popular overseas? But I think that this film suggested an important thing that still matters today. So let me pick it up now.
The stage is a local hospital up to its neck in debt. In the beginning, a male doctor despairs of the hospital, leaves in madness. He is stopped by a hospital female nurse (Hara Sachie), but shakes her off. It shows that the hospital is on the verge of bankruptcy.
The hospital manager played by Watabe Atsuro gives it up, they look hopeless. One day, an emergency case comes to the hospital with a bullet wound.
Somehow he has a narrow escape. He thanks to the hospital a lot, suggests management reorganization. He says that they should be as hospitable as somebody who works in a service industry. They should get their patients on the increase. So they must alter the hospital into nirvana where many people like to visit and stay. The emergency patient (Otomo Kohei) has reorganized countless sex establishments in management before, in fact. Then, he one by one suggests sexual services by sexy nurses.
Can the hospital rise again? What will they become after all? I would like you to check it by actual watching.
As already mentioned above, the comedy film didn't become a hit at all. I would like to think why it didn't gain popularity now. Like the title told, it did suggest an extreme example of applying service industry's manners to medical treatment. And many Japanese people refused it by reflex, said my opinion. Medical care is different from service industries, and we should not apply market mechanism to medical facilities. How come? Market mechanism says that you must vanish when you can earn no money with your work, doesn't it? However, we will have a hard time if medical facilities all disappear according to market mechanism. Medical treatment is one of public wealth. So we must support and keep it with all power of our communities. The Japanese medical insurance system tells us so, doesn't it?
In the 21st century, Japan also had several idiotic public servants who applied market mechanism to public wealth like libraries and hospitals, which confused people. Is it alright with your nation?
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The hospital manager played by Watabe Atsuro gives it up, they look hopeless. One day, an emergency case comes to the hospital with a bullet wound.
Somehow he has a narrow escape. He thanks to the hospital a lot, suggests management reorganization. He says that they should be as hospitable as somebody who works in a service industry. They should get their patients on the increase. So they must alter the hospital into nirvana where many people like to visit and stay. The emergency patient (Otomo Kohei) has reorganized countless sex establishments in management before, in fact. Then, he one by one suggests sexual services by sexy nurses.
Can the hospital rise again? What will they become after all? I would like you to check it by actual watching.
As already mentioned above, the comedy film didn't become a hit at all. I would like to think why it didn't gain popularity now. Like the title told, it did suggest an extreme example of applying service industry's manners to medical treatment. And many Japanese people refused it by reflex, said my opinion. Medical care is different from service industries, and we should not apply market mechanism to medical facilities. How come? Market mechanism says that you must vanish when you can earn no money with your work, doesn't it? However, we will have a hard time if medical facilities all disappear according to market mechanism. Medical treatment is one of public wealth. So we must support and keep it with all power of our communities. The Japanese medical insurance system tells us so, doesn't it?
In the 21st century, Japan also had several idiotic public servants who applied market mechanism to public wealth like libraries and hospitals, which confused people. Is it alright with your nation?
about Welcome, Patients Esq.
・Directed by Hara Takahito
・Edited by Tanaka Shinji
・Music by Otani Ko
・Distributed by Shochiku
・Released on June 4, 2005
・Running Time: 106 minutes
