VOA标准英语2010年-HHS Secretary: Distribution of Medical

The Haitian government says many homeless Haitians are being moved to safer areas after being taken out of the destroyed city of Port-au-Prince, where the recent earthquake did its worst damage.  On Friday, VOA's Melinda Smith talked with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about the pace of getting medical supplies to those who need them.

 

There has been vocal¹ criticism by some groups, such as Doctors Without Borders, who say patients are dying because their field hospitals lack basic medical supplies, like antibiotics².

Dr. John Angus of Hospital Fermathe says his facility is overrun with earthquake victims needing care.

"What we do need really, is supply, supply for the [operating room], supply casting, metal plates to help put the bones together, so we are trying to run it the best we can," he said.

The U.S. military is delivering medical supplies and volunteer doctors are pitching in.   

In Washington, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told VOA that adequate supplies are in the pipeline³.  Getting them delivered to everyone has been the challenge.

"It's the ability to get them on a timely basis in Haiti," she said.  "So they came on ships.  They came on as many planes as possible. But there was so much needed simultaneously⁴."

The secretary says distribution has improved in the aftermath of the quake.  Sebelius says the arrival of the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort has brought 600 additional medical personnel, and more operating facilities.

Large amounts of emergency medical supplies have also been flown from Miami and are being unloaded as fast as they can.

Medical personnel sent by HHS have treated 7,000 patients, and another 600 more seriously ill Haitians are being cared for on the Comfort.

The Haitian government is encouraging as many as 400,000 displaced people to leave the damaged city of Port-au-Prince. 

Haiti is one of the most impoverished⁵ countries in the world.  Before the disaster, its people suffered from high infant mortality, HIV-AIDS, hepatitis and other communicable diseases.

Sebelius says the U.S. intends to help set Haiti's health care system upright again.

"With more stable infrastructure⁶, once it's rebuilt, with a more robust⁷ health system, there's an opportunity to not only deal with the immediate⁸ tragedy of the earthquake, but hopefully, some of the longer-term crises that Haitians have experienced day in and day out," she added.

The U.S. Health and Human Services secretary is optimistic that with many countries now focusing on the quake disaster in Haiti, global attention might also be directed toward solving some of that nation's long-term problems.

1 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

2 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

3 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

4 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

5 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。