On July 9 (Friday), the Graduate School of Management held the symposium, “Can the Medical Field Become a Growth Industry? – The Challenges of Reforming Medical Systems in the International Front” in Marunouchi Building, located in Marunouchi, Tokyo. (jointly sponsored with Mizuho Securities Co.)
This Marunouchi Building symposium has been held since the establishment of the Mizuho Securities Chair at the Graduate School of Management in 2005 for the purpose of transmitting research results from the Chair, Graduate School of Management and Kyoto University to the greater public including business persons and particularly the Tokyo area, which we do not have direct communication with on a daily basis.
This years Marunouchi Building symposium was organized by Kyoto University Vice President, Shozo Nishimura, covering topics in the business of medical fields, which have been the focus of discussions since recent policy reforms. Panelists with differing opinions in medical policies and hospital management fields were invited to provide discussions based on their perspectives.
In the first half of the symposium, there were three lectures:
1. Koichi KAWABUCHI (Tokyo Medical and Dental University Professor of Health Economics), “Can the Medical Field Become a Growth Industry – Discussion Points Towards System Reforms”
2. Toshiki MANO (University of Health Risk Management Institute Professor), “The Future Prospects of Medical Tourism”
3. Shozo NISHIMURA (Kyoto University Vice President), “Placing an Added Value in Medicine”
These lectures discussed the developments of medical technology in recent years while focusing on how to structure medicine and create business opportunities through management. With Japan’s increasing aging society and under the reforms of government regulations and new structuring of medical policies, the lectures clarified that there are various issues and business chances including the recently publicized development of international medical services.
In the latter half of the symposium, a panel discussion took place with Vice President Nishimura as the moderator. Naoyuki MORITA, President of KCCS Management Consulting, and Hiroaki KAKIHARA, Ritsumeikan University Research Center for Medical and Healthcare Management Professor joined the panel and presented differing opinions from the earlier lectures. President Morita, with his business background particularly in hospital/medical institution management reforms, stated that the insertion of systematic management methods will greatly effect productivity. On the other hand, Professor Kakihara criticized the earlier lectures and had the stance of fearing that medical systems which pursue “growth” may bring about the loss of impartial medical opportunities.
Mr. Kawabuchi, Mano and Vice President Nishimura responded to these stances from the economic perspective of medical services, stating that supporting growth is essential in maintaining impartialness. There was active debate on “growth” and “sociality”, clarifying the problem points. The panelists agreed that the development of medical technologies brings about business opportunities, but had various opinions regarding the maintenance of impartialness of those opportunities and methods to create industrial growth for businesses while maintaining this impartialness. These discussions showed the diverseness and difficulty of solving these issues.
This symposium was participated by the hall capacity of 240 participants. Through the heated discussions presented, the symposium was a thought provoking one which clarified topics regarding medical business opportunities as a growth industry.
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Lecture by Mr. Nishimura |
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 Panoramic view |
