VOA慢速英语--乌克兰缺乏治疗新冠的医生

Ukraine Short on Doctors to Treat Coronavirus Infections

The number of coronavirus infections in Ukraine began rising in late summer. And the effects are now reaching towns like Stebnyk in the western part of the country. That is where Natalia Stetsik is watching the growing number of patients with much concern.

"It's incredibly difficult," she says, explaining that there is a serious shortage¹ of doctors. Stetsik is the chief doctor at the only hospital in the town, which is home to 20,000 people.

The hospital normally takes 100 patients for any medical condition. But it is already at its limit, treating 106 patients with COVID-19.

Early in the coronavirus health crisis², Ukraine's health care system struggled with the disease. And officials announced stay-at-home orders in March to prevent overcrowding at hospitals.

The number of cases slowed during the summer months but began to go up again quickly. This led to the government closing Ukraine's borders for a month at the end of August. Yet positive tests for the virus reached 4,661 each day in the first weekend of October. That was a new daily record.

In all, COVID-19 infections in Ukraine have nearly doubled over the past month, topping 234,000.

"An increasing share (of patients) are in grave condition," Stetsik told The Associated Press of the situation in Stebnyk. "The virus is becoming more aggressive and more difficult to deal with."

She said many patients doing poorly are in their 30s and more of them need costly³ medication.

"There is a similar situation across entire Ukraine," Dr. Stetsik explained. Hospitals have little or no money to provide drugs, which forces patients in some areas to buy their own.

The World Health Organization warns that the number of infections in Ukraine could continue to grow and reach 7,000 to 9,000 a day.

The government hopes to avoid restarting stay-at-home orders. But officials admit that the rising number of infections could make it necessary. They are aiming for a more flexible method to lessen⁴ the economic damage. It would divide the country into different zones, depending on the rate of infections.

At a meeting Monday in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told officials they have done a poor job of slowing the spread of the virus. And he accused them of taking too long to provide much needed supplies.

"We spend weeks on doing things that must be done within days," he said.

Zelenskiy urged the officials to move faster to make sure that hospitals have enough oxygen supplies. He noted⁵ that only about 40 percent of beds for COVID-19 patients have access to oxygen.

Ukraine's economy has been weakened by corruption⁶ and a six-year conflict with Russia-supported separatists. Zelenskiy's administration followed health care reforms enacted⁷ by the former president, who had cut government assistance. Without the aid, hospital workers were underpaid and did not have the right equipment.

Last month, Zelenskiy ordered an increase in wages for medical workers.

Official records show that 132 medical workers have died from the coronavirus. The number does not include those who tested negative but showed signs of having COVID-19.

One of those workers was 51-year-old Ivan Venzhynovych, a doctor from the western town of Pochaiv. He spoke⁸ to The Associated Press about the health crisis in May.

Venzhynovych died last week of double pneumonia⁹, which his coworkers believed was caused by the virus. However, he had tested negative.

"He certainly had COVID-19," said his wife Iryna, a doctor at the hospital where he worked. "There are many infections among medical workers, some of them confirmed and others not."

The government pays $56,000 to families of medical workers who die from the virus. But Venzhynovych's wife cannot get the money because he tested negative.

As the number of cases grows, many lawmakers and top officials are testing positive, including former President Petro Poroshenko. He was hospitalized in serious condition with pneumonia.

Medical experts want the government to bring back strong social restrictions¹⁰. They point to a lack of resources in the health care system.

Dr. Andriy Gloshovskiy is a surgeon at the hospital in Stebnyk. But he now treats COVID-19 patients because of the doctor shortage. He blamed new infections on the public's lack of concern about the virus.

Health Minister Maxim¹¹ Stepanov said Ukraine may increase the number of people hospitals can take and improve oxygen supplies. "But we could just be simply short of doctors. Every system has its limit," he said.

A harsh¹² lockdown would be a severe hit to the already weakened economy, Stepanov said. But he warned that officials could be forced to do it anyway.

Words in This Story

positive – adj. showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance

grave – adj. very serious

flexible – adj. willing to change or to try different things

zone – n. an area that is different from other areas in a particular way

access – v. a way of being able to use or get something

negative – adj. not showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance

pneumonia – n. a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe

resource – n. a supply of something (such as money) that someone has and can use when it is needed

surgeon – n. a doctor who performs operations that involve cutting into someone's body in order to repair or remove parts

lockdown – n. a state of isolation or restricted access launched as a security or health measure

1 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

2 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

11 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

12 harsh   

adj.严厉（酷）的，刺耳的，刺目的，毛糙的

参考例句：

• The sunlight is very harsh.太阳光很刺眼。
• Although his words are harsh,there is positiveness in them.虽然他的话很苛刻，但有建设性。