A STUDY ON HEALTH POLICY OF THE U.S. MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN POSTWAR OKINAWA, FOCUSED ON "MEDICAL SERVICE MEN"

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In this study, I have examined the health policy of the military government of the United States in postwar Okinawa from 1945 to 1972, focused on "Medical Service Men". As a result of thorough investigation into regulations and documents pertaining to health and medical services of the U.S. Military Government in the Ryukyus, I found that the U.S. Military Government gave priority to military policies of the United States over protection of civilians' lives and health of native Okinawans. In particular, they paid much attention to protect military personnel from mosquito-born diseases (e.g. ; malaria, Japanese encephalitis, filariasis, dengue fever), and venereal diseases. On the other hand, U.S. Navy Government issued the Proclamation No.9, "Public Health and Sanitation", on April 1945, while sever battle between U.S forces and Japanese forces was still continued in central and southern part of Okinawa Island, to provide Okinawan people with medical care. In the first article of the P … More roclamation, it mentioned that "Physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and others engaged in treatment of the sick, treatment in prevention of disease, or the dispensing of drugs who have been licensed to perform such service in the occupied territory will continue in their respective professions until further orders are issued by my Military Government", signed by CW Nimitz, Fleet Admiral, United States Navy, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Ocean Areas and Military Governor of the Islands of Nansei Shoto and Adjacent Waters. Okinawa Civil Administration named "IKANHO" in Japanese for the "others". Although U.S. Navy Government considered "others" as "Doctor's Assistant", "Physician's Assistant" or "Surgeon's Assistant", "IKANHO" was reversely translated into English as "Assistant Doctor" by Okinawa Civil Administration. This discrepancy in naming of "others" existed between US Military Government and Okinawa Civil Administration showed different conceptions of "others" and their roles expected at both sides. US Military Government had not been authorized "assistant physicians and dentists" as qualified professional men. But so-called "assistant doctors" played inevitable roles to provide the injured or sick native people during the war and immediately after the war with primary medical care. In 1951, United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) issued Ordinance No.43, "Abolition of Assistant Doctors" and No.42, "Abolition of Assistant Dentists". However, USCAR authorized those who had been working as "Assistant Doctors" and "Assistant Dentists" for more than three years as "Medical Service Men" and "Dental Service Men" respectively, after they had given qualified examination. Considering the achievements of these "Medical Service Men" in primary medical care at under served areas and remote islands thereafter, it may be possible to transfer the strategies to meet the shortage of medical personnel in developing countries. Less