日本は地震や台風、大雪、火山活動など、自然災害が頻繁に起きる国です。今年は元日早々に、石川県の能登半島で最大震度７の地震が発生し、240人を超える尊い命が失われました。犠牲となられた皆様に深く哀悼の意を表しますとともに、被災された皆様やご家族・関係者に心よりお見舞い申し上げます。

本学は地震発生を受け、関係者の安否確認を急ぎ、被害はあったものの、けが人のないことを確かめました。私は、旧知の仲である被災地、金沢大学の和田隆志学長へ、お見舞いとともに可能な限りの支援を申し出ました。さらに災害対策本部を設置し、行政などの要請に応じて、多くの医師、薬剤師、看護師らをDMATやJMATなど、医療活動や病院支援などにあたる災害派遣医療チームとして派遣し、支援にあたりました。学内で義援金を募り、被災した本学の学生や金沢大学へ届けるとともに、日本赤十字社へ寄附いたしました。

近年は最大震度７を記録した地震だけでも、2011年の東日本大震災、2016年の熊本地震、2018年の北海道胆振東部地震があります。日本人は、多発する自然災害に対し、お互いが助け合って危機を乗り越えてきました。災害がどんなに遠くで起こっても、我が事として心配し、支援するのは助け合いの精神が日本人に深く根付いているからでしょう。

広島大学は、世界最初の被爆地、広島に開学している大学として、2011年の東日本大震災では、通常の医療チームのほか、原発事故が起きた福島へ緊急被ばく医療チームも派遣しました。放射線災害に対して最大限の支援をしていくことは、本学の最も重要な使命であります。2015年までの4年間に延べ1300人以上の研究者、医師、放射線技師、薬剤師、看護師、職員らが支援にあたりました。本学の学生ボランティアも仙台市を中心に2016年まで5年超にわたり延べ200人以上が活動しました。学生と教職員による息の長い取り組みが、被災地の復興に少しでもお役に立てたのではないかと思っています。

台風も毎年のように襲来します。2018年7月、私たちは西日本を中心に発生した豪雨で被災しました。幸いにも本学にけが人はなく、被害も軽微でしたが、広島は各地で土砂災害に見舞われました。その際に全国からいただいた救援物資や義援金のほか、ボランティアの支援には感謝しかありません。この時の被災調査が防災・減災研究センターの設立につながり、能登半島地震では、同センターのメンバーが、海岸線の調査などを行いました。

災害はいつどこでも起こるものとして、日頃から備えるともに被災者を支えていく必要があります。いつなん時、自分に降りかかるかもしれません。能登半島の一日も早い復興をお祈りするとともに、広島大学はこれからも、医療をはじめ、あらゆる知見を活かし、災害支援に最大限努めてまいる所存です。

Japan is a country prone to frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, heavy snow, and volcanic activity. This year, on New Year’s Day, a devastating earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, claiming the lives of over 240 individuals. I would like to express my deepest condolences to all those who have fallen victim to this tragedy and extend my heartfelt sympathies to the earthquake survivors whose property was badly damaged, their families, and all those involved.

Following the earthquake, we rushed to check the safety of everyone affiliated with Hiroshima University. We were able to confirm that, although there had been some property damage, no one was injured. As Kanazawa University is located in one of the affected areas, I expressed my sympathy to the university’s President, Takashi Wada, a longtime acquaintance, telling him that Hiroshima University was ready to provide as much support as it could. This led to the prompt establishment of the following: 

1) A Disaster Response Headquarters; 

2) The dispatch of a number of doctors, pharmacists and nurses in the form of a disaster relief medical team (including DMATs and JMATs), to provide support for medical activities and hospitals. This was in response to local government and relevant agencies’ requests; 

3) The collection of donations on campus, not only for affected students at Hiroshima University and Kanazawa University, but also for the Japanese Red Cross Society.

In recent years, Japan has experienced the following earthquakes that recorded a maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale: the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011; the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016; and the Hokkaido Iburi East Earthquake in 2018. People in Japan are used to overcoming crises by helping each other out in the face of frequent natural disasters. No matter how far away a disaster is, the spirit of mutual aid seems to be deeply rooted in the minds of Japanese people, naturally showing concern and supporting each other as if it were their own personal matter.

Given its location in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima University was the first in the world to be directly affected by an atomic bomb. As such, in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, in addition to the usual medical team, Hiroshima University’s Radiation Emergency Medical Assistance Team was dispatched to Fukushima Prefecture following the nuclear power plant accident. Providing the highest level of support in the event of a radiological emergency is one of the most important missions of the university. Indeed, between 2011 and 2015, a total of more than 1,300 researchers, doctors, radiologists, pharmacists, nurses and administrative members provided assistance. More than 200 student volunteers from Hiroshima University were also engaged in voluntary work in Sendai City and other areas between 2011 and 2016. I hope that the long-term efforts of students, faculty and administrative members have been of some help in the recovery process of the affected areas.

Typhoons also strike every year in Japan. In July 2018, Hiroshima Prefecture was affected by the torrential rain that hit western Japan. Fortunately, no one at the university was injured, and damage to the university was minor, but many places in the prefecture were hit by landslides. The people of Hiroshima were extremely grateful for the relief supplies, donations, and volunteer support they received from all over the country following this torrential rain. Assessing the damage suffered across the prefecture at that time led to the launch of the HU Resilience Research Center. After the Noto Peninsula earthquake, members at the Center conducted a survey along the coastline of the Peninsula.

Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere, so we need to be ready for them and we need to support disaster victims whenever it becomes necessary. There is no way of knowing when you may fall victim to a disaster of any kind. As well as wishing a speedy recovery to the Noto Peninsula, Hiroshima University will do its utmost to support disaster relief by making full use of its knowledge, including medical expertise.