Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 653 | Classification | MEXT-(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | October 2, 2002 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Cabinet Office |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | Related Laws | Finance Law, etc. |
| Complainant | American Chamber of Commerce in Japan | Exporting Countries | USA European countries, etc. |
| Subject | Promotion of introduction of upgrade-oriented advanced medical equipment at state university hospitals | ||
| Description of Complaint | 1. In the area of advanced medical equipment, including high-performance magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis systems and advanced surgical equipment, technological innovation is so fast that even one-year-old equipment can be outdated. In the United States in recent years, hospitals have increasingly introduced advanced medical equipment that can be upgraded only with upgrading modules (instead of being replaced) at lower cost than for purchasing new equipment. The upgrade-oriented equipment now accounts for a great part of U.S. and other advanced medical equipment including MRI diagnosis systems. These U.S. and other upgrade-oriented advanced equipment can be upgraded at lower costs and in a shorter cycle, and have been introduced by Japanese private-sector hospitals as well as those of the Labour Welfare Corporation (a public corporation under the control of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). Their usefulness has been widely appreciated. 2. However, it is reportedly difficult for state university hospitals to introduce upgrade-oriented medical equipment including upgrading modules, since accounting constraints prevent government-funded medical equipment from being given new upgrading modules during a depreciation period (10 years). 3. On the other hand, many people at state university hospitals have called for introducing upgrade-oriented advanced medical equipment that can provide up-to-date medical treatment at lower cost as state universities are planned to become independent administrative institutions. 4. Based on the above, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is requested (1) to specify the reason why it is difficult for state university hospitals to introduce upgrade-oriented advanced medical equipment (including upgrading modules), and (2) to remove the relevant impediments and take measures to allow state university hospitals to introduce upgrade-oriented advanced medical equipment. |
||
| Details of Measures | The ministry has replied as follows: 1. Restrictions on Introduction The restrictions (a ban on additions of new upgrading modules to government-funded medical equipment during a depreciation period), as described by the complainant, do not exist in terms of law or technical processing practice. Even to government-funded medical equipment, new upgrading modules can be added. 2. Promotion of Awareness and Guidance The ministry has given state universities and other institutions guidance on accounting practices through various conferences and workshops. It is willing to continue to publicize the right practices through conferences and workshops to help correct accounting practices. |
||
| Classification of Processing | Ca | Directions | IV |
| Remarks | A written reply was made on October 17, 2002. A written reply was made on January 31, 2003. |
||