救急搬送困難６５８９件　２週連続で最多更新―総務省消防庁

　総務省消防庁は９日、救急患者の搬送先がすぐに決まらない「救急搬送困難事案」が１～７日の１週間で６５８９件に上ったと発表した。前週の６３０７件を上回り、２週連続で過去最多を更新した。このうち新型コロナウイルスに感染した疑いがあるケースも過去最多の２８７３件（前週２７８９件）で、全体の４３．６％を占めた。
　搬送困難事案の増加は、新型コロナウイルスの感染者数が高止まりしていることが原因とみられる。連日の猛暑で熱中症による搬送も増えた。（2022/08/09-17:37）

The number of cases across Japan in which ambulance crew members had difficulty finding hospitals to accept emergency patients hit a record high for the second straight week, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.
   In the week to Sunday, the number of such cases totaled 6,589, up from the previous record high of 6,307, logged the preceding week, according to the agency.
   Of the latest weekly total, suspected novel coronavirus patients came to a record 2,873, up from 2,789 the previous week and accounting for 43.6 pct of the total.
   The increase in hospital transport difficulty cases apparently reflected the number of new COVID-19 infection cases in the country remaining at very high levels. The number of people taken to hospital by ambulance due to heatstroke also increased amid scorching heat.
   The agency defines emergency hospital admission difficulty cases as those in which ambulance crew members make inquiries with at least four medical institutions and take more than 30 minutes from arrival at an emergency patient's location to start the journey to a hospital.