Patient On Ventilator Concerned About Possible Power Outage In Tokyo
People relying on medical equipment are worried about a possible power outage after a power supply warning was issued for Tokyo and neighboring prefectures on Tuesday.
Tokyo resident Hariu Atsushi, who suffers from ALS, has since 2019 been on a ventilator that would work for only 12 hours on a spare battery. His life could be threatened in case of a prolonged power outage.
His wife Wakako checked how to change the spare battery with a nurse and a caretaker, in preparation for a possible power outage on Tuesday. She's worried about whether she would be able to change batteries quickly in the dark in case of a night power outage.
Their house was without power for several hours on March 16, when a powerful earthquake struck northeastern Japan. At that time, both a ventilator and a sputum suction machine worked fine as the power outage did not last long.
Wakako said she's concerned about what would happen if there were no electricity, and that her husband must be worried that he may not be able to receive oxygen. She says she's praying that a power outage would not last long, and making necessary preparations.