Japan’s Defence minister Nobuo Kishi has said that the government could call up military doctors and nurses from its Self-Defence Forces to help them for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to be held in July this year.
Kishi said that the government has received a request on this matter from the Games organisers.
Earlier this week, Japan’s armed forces have started operating the vaccination centres in Tokyo and Osaka to speed up Japan’s extremely slow vaccination process.
According to Olympics organisers, as many as 230 doctors and 310 nurses will be needed daily at the showpiece event and so far, 80 per cent of the required number of medical staff has been secured.
Tokyo 2020 coordination commission chair John Coates has pointed out that more than 80 percent of the residents of the Olympic village will have been vaccinated by the time the Games begin.
Also, fans from abroad will not be permitted at the showpiece event and the numbers attending from federations, sponsors and media have also been cut.