Local News

Mayor Keisuke Hiwatashi of Takeo, Saga Prefecture, revealed the outlines of a plan to transfer the Takeo Municipal Hospital to private-sector control by February 2010. Changes in hospital management and a shortage of doctors have made it difficult for the city to effectively maintain operations. The city will solicit for another entity to take control of the operations, with one condition being that they send doctors to practice at the hospital until the handover is complete. This will be the first public hospital in the prefecture to be transferred to private-sector control.