Useful Tips from The Kutchan Kosei General Hospital

1.Please come to the hospital during regular consultation hours

  • If you wish to seek medical attention, please come to our hospital during regular consultation hours. You can not make an appointment for your initial consultation. If it is a first visit, please come to the hospital directly, fill out the registration form and take it to the reception. Everyone is required to wear a facemask inside the hospital. We appreciate your understanding.
  • A long waiting time can occur because patients with appointments are given priority. Therefore, please leave time to spare and come to the hospital early. Please let a nurse know beforehand if you must leave the hospital before a particular time. Please note that payment of medical expenses will be charged even if you cancel the consultation after medical tests or examination.
  • We accept only emergency patients on weekends, holidays, and after regular consultation hours. If you wish to see a doctor outside regular consultation hours, please call the hospital beforehand and check whether it is acceptable. In addition, you may be consulted by a doctor other than a specialist for your symptoms, and you may be asked to visit again within regular consultation hours at a later date. The order of consultation will be decided according to severity so that you may wait for a long time. Also, please understand that limited drugs can be provided at ER.

２．Please bring an identification card  

Please bring your physical identification card, such as a passport, driver’s license, residence card and produce it at the reception. We need to obtain your personal information, such as your name and birthday accurately. Patients with a Japanese national health insurance card must present it at the reception. If you do not have the card with you on the consultation day, pay the full amount by yourself and get a refund later.

３． About payment

You can pay the medical expenses by cash or credit card. (Debit cards are not accepted.) There is no international ATM inside our hospital. Therefore, please prepare some money before coming to the hospital, or bring a valid credit card. Cashless consultation using travel insurance is not available. If you have travel insurance, please pay the full medical expenses by yourself at the hospital and make a claim for the fee to your insurance company later. We can issue medical certificates for you but in Japanese only. If you need one, please tell your doctor that you need a medical certificate. (2,200 yen per certificate) Medical expenses may be expensive if you do not have Japanese national health insurance or travel insurance.

  • Extra fees will be charged at the following time.6 am – 8:30 am and 5 pm – 10 pm on weekdays (nighttime charge)10 pm – 6 am on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays (late night charge)6 am – 10 pm on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays (holiday charge)

４．Note for Consultation

  • Medicine can not be prescribed without a medical consultation with our doctor, even if you have a prescription from another doctor or are taking the medicine regularly. In addition, according to Japanese law, we cannot give you any medications, such as painkillers, before you see a doctor.
  • Examinations such as MRI can not be performed without prior consultation with a doctor and his/her judgment. Therefore, you may need to wait for several hours or come back at a later date.
  • We don’t arrange ambulances at the hospital. Please call 119 by yourself if it is needed. Since the number of ambulances in the area is limited, please REFRAIN FROM CALLING AN AMBULANCE if the condition is not severe or you can come by yourself with someone’s assistant. Please use a car or a Taxi if possible. Even if you come to the hospital by ambulance, you can not go back to your home or accommodation by ambulance. Please arrange a car or a tax by yourself for the return. (Taxies are not available between 2am to 6am)
  • Psychiatric consultation is by appointment only. Please contact us by telephone in advance.
  • We can not respond to telephone or email correspondence from overseas insurance companies. If they need any information from us, they have to contact a Japanese agent, and the Japanese agent to contact us for the information.
  • English Interpreters are available between 8:30am – 6:30pm during winter. From 6:30pm until 8:30am, we have a videophone interpreter available. If you need an interpreter other than an English interpreter, we recommend you arrange an interpreter by yourself.
  •   Please follow the instructions of our staff while you are in the hospital. Please note that you may be asked to leave if you do not follow our instructions.

Kutchan-Kosei General Hospital

Higashi1-2,Kita4Jo,Kutchan-cho,Abuta-gun,Hokkai-do 044-0004 ,JAPAN

TEL: +81-136-22-1141

Web: http://www.dou-kouseiren.com/byouin/kutchan/english/index.html