“飛行醫(yī)生”是澳大利亞醫(yī)療制度的一大特色。由于澳大利亞是一個(gè)面積廣闊，人口稀少的國(guó)家，政府專門(mén)設(shè)立了遠(yuǎn)程醫(yī)療服務(wù)體系，對(duì)住在邊遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)的孤立居民點(diǎn)和家庭，借助高科技的通訊手段和先進(jìn)的交通工具提供空中醫(yī)療服務(wù)。然而由于肥胖癥患者的日益增加，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)需要為“飛行醫(yī)生”和患者準(zhǔn)備更大的飛機(jī)了。
Increasing obesity has prompted an Australian state to seek larger planes for the country's famous "Flying Doctor" service, ambulance and government officials said Saturday.
New South Wales state has just put out a tender to assess the cost of obtaining two larger new planes for its air ambulance fleet, which is flown under contract by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to service remote and rural areas.
Recent global surveys have repeatedly highlighted Australians as among the most obese people in the world, despite the country's association with an active, healthy lifestyle and love of sport.
The two new planes would be able to carry patients up to 260 kg (573 lb), nearly twice the current limit of 140 kg (308 lb), a spokeswoman for the state's health ministry told Reuters.
"The ambulance service has obviously seen a need," the spokeswoman said.
A New South Wales ambulance service spokeswoman said it followed similar moves by other parts of the service, including ground ambulances and helicopters, to accommodate larger patients.
Asked if the move was prompted by increasing levels of obesity, she told the repoters: "Essentially, yes."
(Agencies)
Royal Flying Doctor Service: 皇家飛行醫(yī)生服務(wù)隊(duì)。它是澳大利亞一個(gè)獨(dú)特的組織。1928年，由澳大利亞基督教長(zhǎng)老會(huì)的牧師約翰·弗林所創(chuàng)立。它在每天24小時(shí)和一年365天內(nèi)都通過(guò)航空提供緊急醫(yī)療和保健服務(wù)。服務(wù)的對(duì)象是在澳大利亞偏僻內(nèi)地居住、工作和旅行的人們。飛行醫(yī)生服務(wù)隊(duì)平均一年接觸183,000個(gè)病人，其中17000人被空運(yùn)到其它醫(yī)院去治療。該服務(wù)隊(duì)共有17個(gè)醫(yī)療基地和38架飛機(jī)在它所管的715萬(wàn)平方公里的“領(lǐng)空”上飛行，平均每年約飛行1200萬(wàn)公里。飛行醫(yī)生服務(wù)隊(duì)用飛機(jī)對(duì)病人進(jìn)行急救的工作獲得人們的普遍贊揚(yáng)。服務(wù)隊(duì)在繼續(xù)為偏遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)人民的基本保健發(fā)揮作用的同時(shí)，每年還在5000所保健衛(wèi)生站工作，治療患者約有117000人。此外，飛行醫(yī)生服務(wù)隊(duì)的大夫和護(hù)士們還通過(guò)無(wú)線電和電話為居住在邊遠(yuǎn)村落的人們提供咨詢服務(wù)，這在服務(wù)隊(duì)的工作中也占很大比重。飛行醫(yī)生服務(wù)隊(duì)平均每年約需4300萬(wàn)澳元的開(kāi)支。它得到聯(lián)邦、州和地方政府的經(jīng)濟(jì)支持，同時(shí)也依靠工商界和公眾的贊助。
（實(shí)習(xí)生許雅寧，英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津編輯）
