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In Japan, many small medical centers are at risk of going out of business as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
受新冠病毒危机影响，日本许多小型医疗中心都面临倒闭的风险。
Even as the government eases COVID-19 restrictions,
尽管政府放宽了对新冠肺炎(COVID-19)的限制措施，
people continue to avoid the clinics in fear they might catch the disease there.
人们仍然避免去诊所，因为他们担心会由此感染新冠肺炎。
Now clinic owners are asking the government for help.
现在这些诊所的经营者正向政府寻求帮助。
Toshihiko Yamazaki operates a clinic in the city of Urawa, north of Tokyo.
山崎俊彦在东京北部的浦和市经营一家诊所。
He said clinics in the residential and office areas seem to be having a difficult time.
他称，住宅和办公区的诊所似乎遇到了困难。
"Even if the state of emergency is lifted, patients won't be able to return as long as there is a risk of infection," he said.
他说：“即便解除紧急状态，只要存在感染的危险，病人就不会回到诊所。”
Yamazaki has seven employees.
山崎手下有七名员工。
His clinic has gotten through the crisis better than most because it is close to a major train station.
在这场危机中，他的诊所比大多数诊所都好过些，因为其靠近一个大的火车站。
Still, in April, revenue was down 17 percent.
尽管如此，其4月份的营业额仍下降了17%。
Japan had about 16,600 coronavirus infections and around 850 deaths.
日本约有冠状病毒感染病例16600例，死亡约850例。
It has mostly contained the virus without heavy restrictions on travel and business.
该国的新冠病毒已基本得到控制，旅行和商业活动未受到严格限制。
Citizens mostly have obeyed the government's call for an 80 percent cut to social interactions.
大多数公民都遵守了政府的要求，减少80%的社交活动。
Clinic visits for usual health care have decreased, as a result.
因此，普通医疗的就诊人数也减少了。
An industry organization, the Tokyo Medical Practitioner Association, surveyed 1,200 clinics in the capital.
行业组织东京都医师协会调查了首都东京的1200家诊所。
It says more than 90 percent of them suffered revenue loss in April.
该协会表示，其中90%以上的诊所4月份营业额都遭受损失。
The Japan Federation of Insurance Medical Associations carried out a similar survey nationwide.
日本保险医疗协会联合会在全国范围内开展了类似的调查。
It found that more than 80 percent of 2,900 clinics also saw revenue loss in April.
调查发现，在 2900家诊所中，有80%以上的诊所4月份营业额也遭受了损失。
Some of the business went to the internet, where doctors can provide telehealth services.
有些业务转向了互联网，医生可以在线提供远程医疗服务。
But most doctors get only about half as much money as they would receive for in-person visits.
但是这样，大多数医生的收入就只有面诊时收入的一半。
Experts also predict a decrease of about $4.6 billion in hospital revenues this year.
专家还预测，今年医院的收入将减少约46亿美元。
Teaching hospitals have asked the government for financial aid.
教学医院已向政府申请经济援助。
And, medical and hospital groups are urging Japan's health ministry
此外，医疗和医院团体正在敦促日本厚生劳动省
to re-direct aid for community health programs to small medical centers.
将对社区健康项目的援助重新定向到小型医疗中心。
Health ministry official Kazuho Taguchi said the ministry was taking the issue seriously.
厚生劳动省官员田口和保表示，厚生劳动省正在严肃处理这一问题。
Non-virus services must be continued, he added,
他补充道，必须继续提供非病毒类服务。
saying the ministry was holding hearings on ways to deal with the problem of fewer patients.
他表示，厚生劳动省正在举行听证会，探讨如何解决就医人数减少的问题。
Toshio Nakagawa is vice president of the Japan Medical Association.
中川俊夫是日本医学会副会长。
He points out that as revenue decreases, doctors may reconsider plans to buy equipment and hire workers.
他指出，由于收入减少，医生可能会重新考虑购买设备和雇用员工的计划。
That, he says, could lead to a drop "in the quality of medical care."
他表示，这可能导致“医疗质量”降低。
I'm Alice Bryant.
爱丽丝·布莱恩特报道。
