Masao Yoshida, Former Plant Manager of #Fukushima I Nuke Plant, Is Hospitalized for Cerebral Hemorrhage

TEPCO says "His life is not in danger."

Judging from the past 16 months of communication by TEPCO and the Japanese government (who are one and the same at this point, after the effective takeover of TEPCO by the government), it may simply mean "not in immediate danger", and by "immediate" it means "instantaneously".

TEPCO announced the news 4 days after it happened.

From Jiji Tsushin (7/30/2012):

吉田前所長が緊急手術＝脳出血、命に別条なし－東電

Former Fukushima I Nuke Plant Manager Yoshida underwent emergency operation for cerebral hemorrhage, his life is not in danger, says TEPCO

東京電力は３０日、福島第１原発の吉田昌郎前所長（５７）が２６日夕方に外出先で不調を訴え、脳出血のため搬送先の病院で緊急手術を受けたと発表した。手術は成功し、病状は重いが意識はあり、命に別条はないという。

TEPCO announced on July 30 that Masao Yoshida (age 57), former plant manager of Fukushima I Nuclear Power plant, complained of feeling ill on the evening of July 26 when he was away from home, and that he underwent an emergency operation for cerebral hemorrhage at the hospital he was brought to. The operation was successful, and he is conscious even though he is still in grave condition. TEPCO says his life is not in danger.

　吉田氏は昨年３月１１日の事故発生から、所長として現場で陣頭指揮を執った。食道がんと診断され昨年１１月に入院し、同月末で所長を退任。その後、自宅で療養を続けていた。

Since the start of the nuclear accident on March 11 last year, Mr. Yoshida led his team of workers to deal with the accident as the plant manager. He was diagnosed with esophagus cancer and hospitalized in November last year. He resigned as the plant manager at the end of November and has been receiving medical treatment at home.

　東電の松本純一原子力・立地本部長代理は記者会見で、家族の意向として脳出血時の詳しい状況を説明しなかった。医師の所見では、脳出血は食道がんと直接の関係はないという。

TEPCO's Junichi Matsumoto didn't explain the details of when Yoshida suffered cerebral hemorrhage, saying it was his family's wish. According to the doctor [at the hospital?] there is no direct relationship between the cerebral hemorrhage and the esophagus cancer.

　東電は昨年１２月、吉田氏の原発事故後の被ばく量は約７０ミリシーベルトと発表。食道がんの潜伏期間は５～１０年で、放射線医学総合研究所の明石真言理事の見解として、被ばくが原因の可能性は極めて低いと説明した。

TEPCO announced in December last year that Mr. Yoshida's radiation exposure level after the start of the nuclear accident was about 70 millisieverts. The latent period for esophagus cancer is between 5 to 10 years. At the time of the announcement, TEPCO quoted Dr. Makoto Akashi, Executive Director at National Institute of Radiological Sciences, who said the possibility was extremely low that [Yoshida's esophagus cancer] was caused by radiation exposure.

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