Hometown Stories S2020E11 - Being There for Foreign Patients

A hospital near Tokyo gets many patients from abroad, including tourists, local workers and even people in Japan illegally. Dr. Asaka Tomomi is responsible for them. Her overseas experience as a surgeon led to her appointment as head of a new department for foreign patients. Instead of using her scalpel to treat patients as she once did, she now translates, negotiates medical fees and deals with embassies. Though frustrated at the gulf between her ideals and reality, she continues to help alleviate the suffering of people far from home.