VOA健康报道2022--富裕国家从贫穷国家雇佣护士

Nurses Group: Rich Countries Hiring Nurses from Poor Countries

An international organization of healthcare workers is worried that a shortage of nurses and the COVID-19 pandemic will worsen healthcare problems for poor countries.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) represents 27 million nurses worldwide. The ICN said, even before the pandemic, there was already a shortage of 6 million nurses, with 90 percent of the shortages in poorer countries.

Howard Catton leads the Switzerland-based organization. He said increased infections caused by the Omicron variant¹ made the nursing shortage even worse. Western nations have dealt with the problems by bringing back retirees and volunteers to the workforce².

Now, Catton said rich countries including the United States, Germany, Canada, and Britain are offering nurses from poor countries more money to come. The nurses come from places like sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. Besides money and better working conditions, he said, some nations also make it easier for nurses to permanently³ move to new countries.

"I really fear this 'quick fix solution'," he said.

Catton compared the situation to a time when wealthy nations bought more face coverings and vaccines⁴ than they needed. He added, "if they do that with the nursing workforce it will just make the inequity even worse."

Catton added that rich countries are taking advantage of poor countries which educated the nurses but now cannot use their skills at home.

He said healthcare organizations around the world need to start thinking about a 10-year-plan to add more nurses. He said the immediate⁵ problem of the COVID-19 pandemic is one thing, but a greater problem is ahead. He explained that people have held off on surgeries and other important procedures during the pandemic. Once the virus is under control and more people come back into hospitals, the nursing shortage will continue.

"We need a global effort," he said. "Not just warm words and platitudes⁷."

Words in This Story

nurse – n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people and who usually works in a hospital or doctor's office

variant – n. to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone) : to treat (someone who is generous or helpful) unfairly

quick fix – expression – something done based on a short-term goal that avoids considering long-term concerns

take advantage of – phrase - to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone) : to treat (someone who is generous or helpful) unfairly

global – adj. involving the entire world

platitude⁶ – n. a statement that expresses an idea that is not new

1 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

2 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

3 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

4 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

5 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。

6 platitude   

n.老生常谈，陈词滥调

参考例句：

• The talk is no more than a platitude. 这番话无非是老生常谈。
• His speech is full of platitude. 他的讲话充满了陈词滥调。

7 platitudes   

n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子

参考例句：

• He was mouthing the usual platitudes about the need for more compassion. 他言不由衷地说了些需要更加同情之类的陈腔滥调。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He delivered a long prose full of platitudes. 他发表了一篇充满陈词滥调的文章。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》