“Is that building haunted?” I once overheard a tourist ask. Today we are standing before Sawa Hospital in Osaka. It is a place with a long history. Sawa Hospital is a large-scale psychiatric hospital. It is equipped with 455 beds.
Sawa Hospital began as Sawa Psychiatric Department Hospital in September 1953. It had 64 beds. The hospital director was Toyokazu Sawa. In 1956, the Hokuto Association was established. Toyokazu Sawa became the director.
In May 1972, a three-story reinforced concrete “C ward” was built. It had 509 beds. Katorea Nursery was opened in 1974. In September 1978, Hokuto Association Nursing School was established.
The hospital continued to expand. A dental department opened in August 1984. In 1986, a day-care center opened. An occupational therapy center opened in April 1987. Yasushi Sawa became the principal of the Hokuto Association Nursing School.
Yasushi Sawa became the director of Sawa Hospital in December 1987. In May 1988, an in-home care room was added. In April 1989, a sheltered workshop for the mentally disabled opened. It was called Lotus Art.
The C ward was expanded in July 1990. It became a four-story steel-frame building. Night care was approved in June 1991. Group homes opened in May 1991.
In January 1993, the new Sawa Hospital main building was completed. It was a five-story reinforced concrete building. It was named A ward. The number of beds increased to 571.
The hospital added more services. Day-night care started in October 1994. Dementia treatment wards were approved in 1997. In April 1999, a regional health and welfare center opened.
Sawa Hospital focuses on community support. Home-visit nursing by pharmacists can help prevent patients with mental disorders from being re-hospitalized. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be effective for inpatients in long-term psychiatric wards. The hospital also provides emergency psychiatric care. Sawa Hospital continues to adapt to meet the changing needs of its patients.
Today Sawa Hospital stands as a testament to the ongoing commitment to mental health care in Osaka. It is a place of healing and support for those in need.