There has been no running water in the area since the earthquake, making it impossible to offer dialysis, which requires 500 liters of water per patient to remove waste products from the blood. This meant that none of the public hospitals in the six cities and towns in the region were offering such treatments.
The hospital had been providing dialysis treatments to about 100 people before the earthquake, and transferred patients to hospitals in Kanazawa City and the Kaga region for treatment after the tremor.
"We were able to get the hospital back in working order thanks to the help of many people, for which I am truly grateful" said Izumiya Yoshiaki, head of the dialysis department.
"Dialysis is a life-saving treatment, so it cannot be postponed. It was a very stressful situation for people living in evacuation centers and other places who needed the treatment, so I am glad that we could resolve the problem."