Gulf
Crisis, confidential （３）
3)
Before departure
It was at the end of September 1990, when the survey from the
Japanese Government asking for participation By the Japanese Medical
Team was sent to Osaka National Hospital where I was then working
in the Department of Internal Medicine. All doctors in the department
including THE Chief of the Department accepted the request. I
happened to know later that few doctors in national hospitals
all over Japan answered yes except for Nagasaki National Hospital
where the head was sent as a chief of the vanguard. It represented
the naivite of Osaka people, I guess.
Nevertheless hundres of doctors from national hospitals should
have shown the positive will of the nation. I didn’t expect to
be chosen. One day in October I was called to the hospital head’s
Office. He said “ Dr. Kido, you are chosen by the government to
be a member ot the Japanese Medical Team.” I was surprised by
the fact a little bit, but I was prepared and confident. Perhaps
it was because I had international experience in the U.S. as a
resident doctor that I was chosen. I also felt it was a kind of
duty as a national employee.
From the next day my daily activities changed completely. My
only duty was out-patient clinic twice weekly and no need to do
in-patient care, because I was ordered to leave Japan for Saudi
Arabia any day.
I decided to have basic Arabic lessonS at Berlitz to make the
best of the unexpected free time. I also tried to gather information
about Saudi Arabia as precisely as possible through my connection
to friends all over the world.
On October 11, my colleague held an unofficial farewell party
for me. Administrative people in the hospital told us not to make
it an official one because there was also negative opinions about
cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the U.S. A national employee
was to be sent on a national mission by the government. Why should
they be so concerned about minor public opinion, I thought. Our
neighboring hospital, The National Cardiovascular Center, which
was told to send one doctor to Saudi Arabia held an official farewell
party in the presence of the entire staff and doctors. During
our “unofficial party” an emergency message from the Ministry
of Health & Welfare came to us saying there was some change
of plans and made everything pending. What a surprise! But after
a while, I was finally determined to be dispatched, but the doctor
from National Cardiovascular Center was canceled.
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