The origin of Kobe University Hospital is the establishment of a hospital affiliated with Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Medical School in 1869. The hospital was the first to provide medical service in the Kobe area. In 1967, it was transferred to Kobe University School of Medicine.
The Hospital consists of 35 clinical divisions with 920 beds. It is today one of the leading hospitals in Hyogo Prefecture, playing an important role in educating medical doctors as well as advancing medical standards through its activities. The Hospital is also responsible for providing preventive medicine, sanitation education, and advisory service on medical procedures in the University and other general hospitals in the Kobe area.
Moreover, Kobe University Hospital has a distinguished feature that it is playing an important role as a base hospital for disaster and emergency medicine as well as for serving to international patients. The International Patient Center was established in October 2001 for the purpose of accepting international patients who wish to receive medical consultation, treatment, and second opinions.
The International Patient Center offers besides consultation, examination, and hospitalization, an interpretation service with the cooperation of the staff and the international doctors who are training at the Hospital.
The new ward, completed in September 2001 and relocated in February 2002, has ample space and a heliport, which can accommodate many sick and/or injured people even in case of a catastrophic disaster. This new ward also makes the Hospital a disaster-base hospital, supporting the local residents' emergency care activities.
Since April 2007, for both outpatients and inpatients, the medical examination system has been classified by internal-organ function into 4 areas (35 clinical divisions): Internal Medicine, Internal Related, Surgery, and Surgery Related.