Dramatic footage from Japan: Doctors shielded patient with their bodies during earthquake

New and dramatic footage revealed this morning, Thursday, in Japan shows the moments of horror at the Kumamoto General Hospital, one of the central medical institutions in the city of Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, as the severe earthquake struck the region.

While the ground was shaking violently, four different surgeries were taking place simultaneously at the hospital. Footage from security cameras in one of the operating rooms, where a complex abdominal surgery was being performed at the time, showed extraordinary resourcefulness and composure: the doctors are seen shielding the patient with their bodies from heavy medical equipment that began to sway and move, while nurses rushed to open emergency doors to ensure an available evacuation route in case of collapse.

According to a statement from the hospital management, despite the deadly quake and the equipment that was shaking violently, all four surgeries that took place during those critical minutes were completed with full success.

Following the earthquake, heavy damage was caused to the hospital's assets, and among other things, prolonged water outages were recorded that rendered some of the essential medical equipment unusable. As a result, the hospital was forced to temporarily shut down the general outpatient clinic services.

Despite this, after comprehensive tests confirmed that the water in the emergency reservoir intended for extreme situations remained of excellent quality and safe for use, the hospital announced a return to full operation as early as yesterday.

"Some of the elevators are still not working, and we are currently having difficulty providing regular and full meals to the hospitalized, which causes discomfort to our patients," said the director of Kumamoto General Hospital, Dr. Shinya Shimada, in a statement to the media. "However, we believe that the resumption of medical services will provide peace of mind and security to the local community. We want to continue and fulfill the hospital's public mission at any cost."

The video was filmed during the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, on July 28. The quake caused the collapse of buildings, fires, and widespread power and water outages. As of the latest update, authorities have announced 38 deaths, and more than 40,000 households were left without water.