| National Sanatorium Hoshizuka Keiaien | |
| Location: | 4204 Hoshizukacho, Kanoya, Kagoshima |
| Country: | Japan |
| Healthcare: | HealthCare of those who had leprosy |
| Type: | National hospital run by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) |
| Speciality: | Internal medicine, Surgery, Orthopedics, Dermatology, Ophthalmoloty, Otorhinolaryngology, Dentistry |
| Founded: | 1935 |
Hoshizuka Keiaien Sanatorium, (National Sanatorium Hoshizuka Keiaien) is a sanatorium for leprosy patients or ex-leprosy patients in Kanoya-shi, kagoshima-ken, Japan which was established in 1935.
Following the establishment of prefectural sanatoriums, the Japanese government decided to increase sanatoriums, first with National Sanatorium Nagashoma Airakuen in 1930. Hoshizuka Keiaien was the 4th sanatorium which was established in 1935. Unlike other areas, resistance to the establishment of this sanatorium was small.
The number of in-patients is the sum of patients which changed not only by the newly diagnosed hospitalized and those who died among in-patients, by other factors such as the number of patients who escaped or were discharged, depending on the condition of the times. Recently they were encouraged to be discharged, but the long period of the segregation policy causing leprosy stigma might influence the number of those who went into the society. [1]
| Year | Number of in-patients | |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 368 | |
| 1940 | 891 | |
| 1943 | 1347*maximum | |
| 1950 | 976 | |
| 1960 | 1160 | |
| 1970 | 974 | |
| 1980 | 828 | |
| 1984 | 741 |
| Year | Number of in-patients | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 359 | |
| 2004 | 339 | |
| 2005 | 319 | |
| 2006 | 290 | |
| 2007 | 279 | |
| 2008 | 265 |
It was at the congress of the Japanese Leprosy Association held in the Keiaien Sanatorium on November 2 and 3, 1947 that the effects of promin were first reported. At first it did not attract attention since cepharanthin, a new drug for leprosy which had been tested earlier proved disappointing. Promin use started in November 1948, and the effects of promin were amazing. "Give us promin" movement began. The first patient cleared with promin was discharged in April, 1953.
Leprosy in earlier days has been associated with scabies, and this has been pointed out by Kensuke Mitsuda. There were many cases of scabies.[3]