VOA慢速英语2016 点点鼠标，乌干达的医生就来了

AS IT IS 2016-07-10 Doctors in Uganda Are Only a Click Away 点点鼠标，乌干达的医生就来了

Social media is filling a big demand in Uganda for individuals who have medical questions or need health care.

在乌干达，对于有医学问题和或者需要卫生保健的人来说，社交媒体填补了很大的个人需求

The African nation has just one doctor for every 25,000 people. It is especially hard for those in rural areas to get care.

在非洲国家，每25000个人共享一个医生。而农村地区获得医疗服务则尤为困难。

A 24-hour medical hotline was set up to help meet their needs. The service uses social media to let Ugandans speak directly with certified¹ doctors and pharmacists.

为了满足他们的需要，一个24小时服务的医疗热线被设立了起来。这项服务通过社交媒体，使得乌干达人民可以直接和具备资格的医生和药剂师们交流。

People can make telephone calls to the office of the Medical Concierge² Group in Kampala. But most use free messaging services like WhatsApp instead to contact the office's trained specialists. The use of social media helps the group keep costs low and offer the hotline service for free.

人们可以直接给坎帕拉的医疗礼宾组打电话。但是更多的人，选择使用像WhatsApp提供的免费短信服务，而不是直接和训练有素的专家联系。通过利用社交媒体，这个组织保持低成本，并能提供免费的热线服务。

The hotline's call center receives about 50,000 questions a month. Dr. Yvette Wibabara works there. She says the questions often relate to local health outreach programs.

这个热线的服务中心每月大约要处理50000个问题。伊维特.微芭芭拉医生就在这里工作。她说这些问题大多和当地健康拓展项目有关。

"Certain seasons they publicize about health topics, menstruation, immunization. So depending on what's going on with the UNICEF publications, that's what they get here most. The other platform we have is incoming and outgoing calls. [telephone rings] Here we go."

出于某些原因，他们公布一些健康话题，生理期和免疫性问题。所以他们能发展到这个地步，与联合国儿童基金会的项目公开计划密不可分。另外一个平台主要是负责电话的接入和拨出。（电话响了）我们出发。

The man on this call had a question about his wife. He is worried she suffers from a medical complication³ after giving birth.

电话中的这个男人带着关于他妻子的问题。他担心他的妻子在生产后会有一些医疗并发症。

Sometimes the call center brings in specialists to discuss health issues. On the day a VOA reporter went, a Ugandan cancer specialist was using Twitter to answer questions.

电话服务中心有时会把健康问题交给专家们讨论。在VOA记者到达当日，一乌干达的癌症专家正在推特上解答问题。

Workers at the center spend a lot of time correcting common health myths⁵, such as that vaccinations⁶ are dangerous.

中心的工作人员花费了很多时间来纠正普遍的错误健康认知，例如接种疫苗很危险。

Dr. John Mark Bwanika said the hotline also gives people the chance to raise questions they would be too embarrassed to ask their local health provider.

约翰?克班卡医生称这个热线也给了人们很多机会，来提问那些可能因为过于尴尬而无法咨询当地医生的问题。

"The questions are quite varied⁷ and straight out. But a lot of the questions, especially from the young people, are on sexual⁸ reproductive health issues. Things like, how do I use a condom? Where do I get testing for HIV? Where do I get post-abortion care?"

这些问题真的很多样，也很直接。但是不少问题是关于性生殖的健康问题，提问的大多是年轻人。例如，我该怎么使用避孕套？我应该去哪里检查艾滋病？我流产后应该去哪里疗养？

Bwanika said another reason many people use the hotline is to find the nearest care provider. The Medical Concierge Group keeps records of doctors and specialists throughout the country.

班卡说，人们使用热线的另一个原因是为了找到最近的护工。医疗礼宾组保留着全国的医生和专家的信息记录。

The hotline plans to expand its service in Uganda to other African countries.

这个热线计划从乌干达扩展到其他的非洲国家。

Words in This Story

hotline – n. a service available to the public for offering information

certified – adj. officially recognized for meeting certain set standards

complication – n. a disease or condition that happens in addition to another disease

myth⁴ – n. an idea or story that is believed by many people, but is not true

embarrassed – adj. feeling or showing shame or awkwardness

1 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

2 concierge   

n.管理员；门房

参考例句：

• This time the concierge was surprised to the point of bewilderment.这时候看门人惊奇到了困惑不解的地步。
• As I went into the dining-room the concierge brought me a police bulletin to fill out.我走进餐厅的时候，看门人拿来一张警察局发的表格要我填。

3 complication   

n.（新出现的）困难，难题，并发症

参考例句：

• This was an unforeseen complication.这是未预见到的复杂情况。
• The car ran out of petrol,and as a further complication I had no money!汽车没油了，更麻烦的是我身上没有钱！

4 myth   

n.神话，神话故事

参考例句：

• The story has points of resemblance to a Hebrew myth.这个故事与某个希伯来神话有相似之处。
• The story is a pure myth.这故事纯属虚构。

5 myths   

n.神话( myth的名词复数 )；杜撰出来的人[事物]

参考例句：

• They drew the material of their plays chiefly from myths and legends. 他们主要从神话传说中提取剧本的素材。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jasper White is one of rare people who believes in ancient myths. 贾斯珀。怀特是少有的相信古代神话的人之一。 来自新概念英语第二册

6 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

8 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。