Service Animals
With some restrictions (as described below), our hospital welcomes the use of service animals by our patients. Whether you use one yourself, or happen to see a patient using one, we ask that you everyone cooperate with our goals for this policy. Should you see a patient with a service animal, we ask that you avoid unnecessary contact and allow the animal to do its job.
Our Policy
In accordance with the spirit of Japan’s Handicapper Assistance Dog Law, patients are welcome to bring service animals to and into the hospital. However, unlike other public facilities, by its nature a hospital is a place where individuals with weakened immune systems and particularly strong allergies are often present. In order to best balance the needs of all those involved, service animals are allowed in the hospital with the following area restrictions:
Areas where service animals are allowed
| |
Outpatient Areas
| Outpatient waiting areas
Waiting areas for medical departments, treatment rooms |
Inpatient Areas
| All general wards
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Areas where service animals are NOT allowed
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Outpatient Areas
| Emergency Medical Care Center
Chemotherapy treatment areas |
Inpatient Areas
| Operating rooms, sterilized areas
Critical and intensive care wards Tuberculosis ward Negative/Positive pressure adjustment rooms in the wards Obstetrics and Gynecology ward |
Other areas
| Nutrition department
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When you enter the building with a service animal…
If you come to the hospital with a service animal, please make sure that you bring your own government-issued cards identifying you as a service animal user as well as documentation showing that your animal has completed the required training. Please respect that our staff may ask you to present these documents to us. In addition, given the weakened immune systems of so many other visitors, it’s important that the animal (if a dog) has been vaccinated against rabies, canine leptospirosis and canine parvovirus, and we may request documentation of these vaccinations.
Other Animals
While we permit the use of service animals in the hospital to assist patients with impaired vision or other handicaps, standard pets of any kind or so-called “emotional support animals” or similar pets are not permitted in the hospital under any circumstances.