Doctors shield patient as earthquake rocks Japan hospital during surgery

By Hannah Johnson

Newly released security camera footage has captured the dramatic moment doctors and medical staff shielded a patient as a powerful earthquake struck a hospital in Kumamoto, Japan, last month.

The video, according to BBC on Saturday, released by Kumamoto General Hospital, shows medical workers struggling to maintain control of an operating table as the theatre shook violently during the July 28 earthquake.

Four surgeries were reportedly underway at the hospital when the earthquake struck.

In the video from one of the operating rooms, where abdominal surgery was being performed, medical equipment can be seen swaying violently as lights flickered on and off.

Two medical workers held down the operating table and used their bodies to shield the patient, while other members of staff struggled to secure equipment and maintain order.

At one point, a medical worker was thrown to the floor while attempting to secure the moving equipment as objects were sent flying across the room.

Another staff member was also seen opening a door to ensure that an evacuation route remained accessible amid the shaking.

Despite the intensity of the earthquake, the medical team continued working and successfully completed all four surgeries, according to the hospital.

The earthquake, initially reported by some Japanese media as having a magnitude of 7.1, caused significant shaking across parts of the region.

Kumamoto General Hospital suspended some services following the earthquake but resumed normal outpatient operations on August 5.

The hospital said all four operations underway when the earthquake struck were successfully completed.

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