現在、紹介状のない初診の場合、選定療養費がかかりますが、救急車は無料です。
In a bid to prevent a concentration of patients, major hospitals in Japan collect selective treatment fees from first-time patients without referral letters based on the National Health Insurance Act.（国民健康保険法）
※selective treatment fees 選定療養費 ※fee＝（専門業者に払う）報酬、謝礼
※referral letter 紹介状
At the same time, many large hospitals do not charge for ambulance rides because such situations are supposed to be "highly urgent.“
※ambulance 救急車 語源：『歩く病院』（仏）amble＝ぶらぶら歩く、ゆっくり歩く
搬送されても入院の必要がない場合、救急車を有料化にする動きがいくつかの自治体ではじまっています。
The city of Matsusaka in Mie Prefecture began on June 1 to collect fees from patients taken by ambulance to any of its three core hospitals （基幹病院）but who are assessed as not needing hospitalization.
Large hospitals in Ibaraki Prefecture will start collecting a fee of at least 7,700 yen from patients for nonurgent ambulance use. The governor explained that the fee is to promote the proper use of ambulances.（July 26 ）
※入院患者／外来患者＝ ➾inpatient／outpatient
救急車を呼び出した半数は緊急ではありませんでした。(以下は茨城の数字)
Of the approximately 130,000 emergency callouts in Ibaraki Prefecture in 2022, as many as about 60,000 were minor cases that did not require hospitalization.
※callout （出張）呼び出し
その一方、緊急時の受け入れ先病院が見つけられない事が増えています。
On the other hand, the number of cases in which officials couldn't find hospitals to accommodate emergency patients reached 8,470 in 2023, representing an increase of more than 2.5 times over the past five years.
救急車の有料化は、出動を抑制することで逼迫する緊急医療を緩和する狙いがあります。
The move is aimed at suppressing the number of ambulance dispatches. The prefectures hope that the system review will reduce the strain on emergency medical care.
※suppress 抑制する
※dispatch 急派、特派
※strain 負担、逼迫、重圧、しわ寄せ
救急車が呼ぶ必要あり？と思った際には、#7119を利用する選択肢があります。
When you are in doubt about whether to call an ambulance for a sudden illness or injury, dial #7119.
Before calling 119, please consider if an ambulance is truly necessary, or if you can use alternative transportation, such as a private vehicle or taxi.
また救急車が通るときには、道を開けるようにしましょう。
『緊急車輌が通ります／道路の端に車を寄せてください』
An emergency vehicle is approaching, please pull over to the side of the road.
※pull over 〔車を〕片側,路肩に寄せる、停止させる
『救急車に道をあけてください』
Please make way for an ambulance. ➾Please give way to an ambulance.
※make way for～／give way to～ ～に道を譲る
