Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo: The Passion of Citizens Fighting to Sustain a Vital Activity No27

＜Reunited After a Long Time, and Unchanging Dedication＞

Following last week, I had the pleasure of spending time in Tokyo with fellow citizen volunteers from the Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo for a delightful lunch. As soon as we met, we started exchanging souvenirs we had all brought, and conversation flowed easily among familiar faces over a meal at a restaurant we had previously used for a year-end party.

Citizen volunteers of the Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo reunited for a pleasant lunch. The discussion also covered the critical topic of sustaining their activities.

However, not all the conversation was lighthearted. The serious topic of continuing the Ombudsman's activities was discussed.

＜The Difficulty of Sustaining Activities and Historical Changes＞

The Difficult Situation

My relocation from Kanagawa Prefecture to Hamamatsu City in 2020 made it practically impossible for me to continue my Ombudsman work. This period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated avoiding direct personal contact, leading to the suspension of face-to-face consultations—the main activity of the Ombudsman for addressing patient and family complaints regarding medical and welfare services—and a subsequent scaling down of operations. Furthermore, even before this situation, the aging of citizen counselors and the lack of young, new participants had been a major challenge.

＜The History of Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo＞

Let’s take a brief look back at the history of the Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo.

• 
  

  Early 1990s: As medical accidents and rights violations became social issues, the necessity for a citizen-led third-party organization began to be discussed.

  
  
• 
  

  1999: On June 20, the "Patient Rights Ombudsman" was established in Fukuoka City, giving birth to a collaborative model between citizens and legal professionals. On December 10 of the same year, it received NPO accreditation (the first medical ombudsman in Japan).

  
  
• 
  

  2000s: The success of the Fukuoka group gained national recognition, leading to the expansion of activities into Kyushu, Kansai, and Kanto regions. In the latter half of the decade, the National Liaison Committee of the Patient Rights Ombudsman began functioning, establishing citizen consultation and complaint investigation as standard practices.

  
  
• 
  

  Around 2010: The NPO Patient Rights Ombudsman Fukuoka was eventually dissolved due to changes in its structure. Tokyo and Kansai groups transitioned to operating as voluntary organizations. The Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo continued to provide face-to-face consultations and regularly publish a newsletter.

  
  

＜My Involvement and Thoughts on the Newsletter＞

Joining the Movement

My involvement began in 2007 when I attended the Human Security Program (HSP, University of Tokyo) and met Masao Oyama. Following Mr. Oyama's suggestion, I joined the activities of the Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo in 2008. I participated in consultation sessions as a medical and welfare specialist counselor and also began working as an editorial committee member for the newsletter.

My Efforts as an Editor

About a year after starting on the editorial committee, Mr. Oyama stepped down due to health reasons, and I took over the editing responsibilities single-handedly. At that time, I was engaged in a wide range of activities, including working as a Nursing Director in a private hospital, a part-time lecturer at a visiting nurse station and nursing school, a civil and welfare commissioner, and organizing a local mini-health café called "Otassha Club". Consequently, there were times when drafting the Ombudsman's newsletter, along with my work as a civil commissioner and preparing for the health café, led to many sleepless nights.

However, I did not feel burdened at that time. On the contrary, I felt a sense of fulfillment and vitality in my daily life.

＜The Significance and Future of Ombudsman Activities＞

Frustration and the Driving Force

Meeting the citizen volunteers of the Ombudsman Tokyo and hearing about the current state of activities, I felt a sense of helplessness rather than mere disappointment regarding the decline of the group.

When the Ombudsman movement began, medical accidents were frequently reported in the news, and the root of many consultations was the disconnect between healthcare providers and patients/families. In the medical field, a lack of dialogue and structural distortions often make it difficult for patients and families to speak up. The Ombudsman is a citizen-led activity that fills this gap.

My experience with the Ombudsman is one of the motivations that led me to start my current work as a private practitioner.

The Current Situation and Future Resolve

During the pandemic, patient and family complaints were primarily handled by phone, but face-to-face consultations are now taking place again, albeit in small numbers. Regrettably, the newsletter has not been published for over a year. (However, I was later told that it is expected to be published next year, which is great news!)

In Tokyo, the activities of the Patient Rights Ombudsman have been recognized, and one member is dispatched to committees under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health. Specifically, these include the Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Safety Promotion Council, which discusses "medical safety" policies, indicators, and issues at medical institutions within the metropolitan area, and the Emergency Medical Care Countermeasures Council, which reviews the emergency medical system.

Problems continue to occur between the two parties in the medical and welfare fields. Even if the scale is smaller, the role is not lost. I feel it is crucial to keep the flame alive as long as it is needed. Driven by this strong feeling, I couldn't help but say at the lunch, "Please let me know about the next consultation session; I will come running from Hamamatsu to attend".

＜The Meaning Behind the Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo Logo＞

The logo of Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo. It symbolizes three parties—the client, the citizen counselor, and the neutral Ombudsman—facing each other to build a relationship of trust.

When I was actively involved, I noticed the group didn't have a logo, so I created the one shown below, which is still in use today. Please allow me to introduce its meaning.

• Logo Shape:

  • The logo represents the three parties—the client (pink), the citizen counselor (orange), and the Ombudsman who supports from a neutral stance (green)—facing each other and building a relationship of trust.

    
    

• Meaning of the Colors:

Color	Represents	Meaning
💚 Green	The Ombudsman Supporting from a Neutral Stance	Symbolizes balance, harmony, safety, freedom, and neutrality. It brings tolerance, sound judgment, conscientious action, and understanding, creating an atmosphere appropriate for making decisions. The arrow itself signifies balance and symbolizes the organization's neutral stance.
💗 Pink	The Client	Represents peace, relaxation, health, love, and happiness. This color reflects the desire for clients to feel this way.
🧡 Orange	The Citizen Counselor	Conveys an image of activity and lightness, representing natural, straightforward cheerfulness. It brings confidence, courage, cheerfulness, spontaneity, and an active attitude, as well as health, vitality, creativity, and joy. It symbolizes the citizen counselor.
ＴＯＫＹＯ (Magenta)	The "Tokyo" of "Patient Rights Ombudsman Tokyo"	A gentle, warm, and protective color; considered the most refined of all colors. It expresses idealism in a pure form, with characteristic images of dedication, respect, and gratitude.