[Medical Dispatch to Okinawa and following Period].

Abstract

I was dispatched to Okinawa Ishigaki Island in 1976 and, then after about thirty years, to Touhoku to provide medical aid due to a shortage of psychiatrists. On Ishigaki, I participated in outreach activities for local islands and was deeply impressed by the public health nurses and community mental health services. I also recognized important points of view about culture and psychiatry. I spent five years in Touhoku and then the East Japan Disaster hit area. At that time, many psychiatrists from throughout Japan supported our hospital, and we supported the disaster area. I describe my experiences in both places. I hope someday that young psychiatrists will join medical dispatch programs to such areas.