VOA标准英语2014--卫生保健工作者需求更好的埃博拉病毒防范

 

Health Care Workers Demand Better Preparedness for Ebola 卫生保健工作者需求更好的埃博拉病毒防范

HOUSTON— 

Although there have only been three cases of Ebola diagnosed in the United States, unease about contracting the disease has spread across the country.

At the same time, nurses are asking President Barack Obama to mandate¹ uniform procedures for dealing² with Ebola in all U.S. hospitals, where they say preparations are, for the most part, far from adequate. Public officials are supporting these requests.

Houston, Texas' U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee came together with doctors and nurses demanding all U.S. hospitals provide adequate protective clothing for health care workers who may encounter Ebola.

“This is the type of equipment that should be utilized³ by any medical professionals, including nurses and others that are dealing with the bodily fluids, to assure that they have the ability to be protected,” Lee said.

The congresswoman said she supported the call for Obama to use his executive authority to set uniform Ebola procedures nationwide

Union request

National Nurses United called for better training and equipment. 

“Even today, in the hospitals, nurses have not been trained on how to use this equipment and, in some hospitals, do not have this equipment,” said Melinda Markowitz, the union group's vice⁴ president.

Her organization blames sloppy⁵ procedures at the Dallas hospital that treated the first Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, who infected two nurses who treated him.

Markowitz said National Nurses United has been asking for better preparation since the Ebola outbreak began in West Africa in March.

“We have been going to the hospitals and saying, ‘This is happening in Africa, what are you doing to prepare the health care providers and the nurses if this should come to the United States?’ ” Markowitz said.

Markowitz recalled the response by hospitals: “ ‘Oh, we are prepared; we are prepared for any infection.’ And we know that is not true."

Survey response

A recent National Nurses United survey showed that 85 percent of U.S. hospitals have inadequate⁶ Ebola training and many lack proper equipment and waste disposal systems.

Nurse Gwendolyn Agbatekwe, who works at a hospital in Austin, Texas, said it is unacceptable that the nurses in Dallas became infected while doing their job.

“I am grievously saddened by these two nurses contracting the Ebola virus and I know that they were doing the best that they could do to work with their patients,” Agbatekwe said.

Nurse Kelly Miller⁷ stressed the need for teamwork when using protective suits that become unbearably⁸ hot to wear for more than a half-hour.

She said at least two people are also needed to avoid dangerous mistakes.

“The reason you work in teams is to have the other person help you with the protocol⁹ to make sure you haven’t missed something,” Miller said.

The other matter that health care professionals said needs to be addressed is public education about Ebola, which Lee said could prevent unnecessary panic and help save lives.

1 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 sloppy   

adj.邋遢的，不整洁的

参考例句：

• If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎，我话说在头里，可要给你打不及格了。
• Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。

6 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

7 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

8 unbearably   

adv.不能忍受地，无法容忍地；慌

参考例句：

• It was unbearably hot in the car. 汽车里热得难以忍受。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She found it unbearably painful to speak. 她发现开口说话痛苦得令人难以承受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。