新西兰英语 363 More Neuro-surgeons for SI

　　Otago University Neuro-surgery¹ department will not close and Christchurch hospital which has four neurosurgeons will get one more. This news was announced yesterday. Neuro-surgery is brain surgery.
Earlier this year, the government said it was too expensive to have two neuro-surgery departments in the South Island for the small population. The government thought Christchurch was the best place for this. However, the people of Otago and Southland protested³. There were protest² marches. They argued that if urgent⁴ brain surgery is needed, this must be done without delay. Flying patients to Christchurch from Otago takes too long. Also, Otago is the home of the first medical school in New Zealand – Auckland also has a medical school – and the study of Neuro-surgery is an important part of a medical school. Christchurch hospital argued that more people live in Christchurch so that’s the best place to have a neuro-surgery department.
The population of the Canterbury province is 565,800. The population of Otago and Southland is 284,700.
The government set up a group of experts who recommended that both Otago and Christchurch have a neuro-surgery department. Otago will also have a professor and senior lecturer in neuro-surgery to do research. It is not clear where the money will come from for these extra neuro-surgeons.
Questions
Neurosurgery is often needed for brain injuries from accidents. What other illnesses or diseases⁵ might need neurosurgery?
As people get older, is this likely to increase the need for neurosurgery?

1 surgery   

n.外科，外科手术；手术室

参考例句：

• What time does surgery finish?门诊什么时间结束？
• Your condition is serious and requires surgery.你的情况很严重，需要动外科手术。

2 protest   

v.反对，抗议；宣称；n.抗议；宣称

参考例句：

• I can't pass the matter by without a protest.我不能对此事视而不见，我要提出抗议。
• We translated his silence as a protest.我们把他的沉默解释为抗议。

3 protested   

v.声明( protest的过去式和过去分词 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• He protested he was being cheated of his rightful share. 他提出抗议说他被人骗取了他依法应得的份额。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Amy protested she was being cheated of her rightful share. 艾米提出抗议，说有人骗取了她依法应得的份额。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 urgent   

a.紧急的，急迫的，紧要的

参考例句：

• He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
• A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。

5 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。