Japans' military doctors, nurses to help Tokyo Olympics organisers amid pandemic

Tokyo: As it is just two months ahead of the planned start of the postponed Tokyo Olympics, the vaccination against COVID is slow in Japan. Japan's armed force will help Olympic organisors to conduct the mega event declared Japan defence minister.

The country's defence minister Nobuo Kishi said in parliament on Tuesday. that military doctors and nurses from its Self-Defence Forces will become the part of this year's Tokyo Olympics

Kishi was quoted saying that his house has received a request to this matter from the Games organisers

The armed forces have started to operate the vaccination centres in Tokyo and Osaka this week to help speed up

According to Olympics organisers, up to 230 doctors as well as 310 nurses will be needed daily at the Games. So far, around 80 per cent of the required number of medical staff has been secured, they said.

Local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) insist the Games can go ahead safely despite Japan fighting a fourth wave of the pandemic and Tokyo being continually placed in states of emergency -- the latest extending to the end of this month.

Tokyo 2020 coordination commission chair John Coates pointed out that more than 80 per cent of the residents of the Olympic village will have been vaccinated by the time of the Games.

Foreign fans will not be permitted to attend the Games, which were delayed from last year, while the numbers attending from federations, sponsors and media have been cut.

A recent survey conducted by the Kyodo news agency showed that 72 per cent of those polled in Japan want the Olympics cancelled or rescheduled due to the pandemic.