VOA标准英语2015--WHO: Cambodia's Mental Health Services 'Critically Neglected'

WHO: Cambodia's Mental Health Services 'Critically Neglected'

PHNOM PENH—

Cambodia has some of the world’s worst mental health statistics – largely due to the effects of Pol Pot’s murderous Khmer Rouge¹ regime. Yet mental health services remain underfunded and – in the words of the World Health Organization – “critically neglected." There’s little sign of that changing in the near future, in part because few Cambodian students are interested in psychiatry² as a career.

The psychiatric clinic at the government’s Khmer-Soviet Hospital in Phnom Penh is one of Cambodia’s busiest.

Fifteen years ago, said clinic director Yem Sobotra, it saw between 70 and 150 patients a day. When VOA visited in April, the daily average was 400.

With few mental health services in rural areas, where most Cambodians live, patients have to come to centers like this for treatment.

But with just 10 psychiatrists⁴ and as many nurses, most get just a few minutes before leaving with a bottle of pills.

Dr. Yem Sobotra said they could do better with more resources.

“So we [have] not much time to give good service for them – especially for psychotherapy. We just only [offer] some short [term] counseling, short [term] psychotherapy for the patient. That is my idea – not enough for service, not enough for human resources,” he said.

The challenges do not end there: Cambodia lacks the advanced drugs used in neighboring Vietnam and Thailand – a particular problem when prescribing for patients with heart conditions.

It also needs more psychiatrists – yet few youngsters seem interested.

Nationwide just six students are taking the three-year course. Experts blame low salaries and the challenges of studying psychiatry.

TPO-Cambodia is a respected mental health non-profit.

Dr. Chhim Sotheara, who heads TPO, said Cambodia had many needs, few resources – particularly in rural areas – and a government that was not doing enough.

A skills-transfer program would help, he said.

“We don’t have anyone enrolling⁵ in the psychiatry training program, so that’s not going to happen. So I think the transferring skills from the specialist psychiatrist³ to GP, GP to nurse, to village health support groups, traditional healers, the monks⁶, the nuns⁷ – and all this would be good,” he said.

At the government’s newly formed Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Deputy Director Dr. Muny Sothara said matters have improved in recent years, but acknowledged more was needed.

“For the coming future we need to improve the quality of the existing trained staff instead, and also additional mobilize new general practitioners⁸ and nurses in order to operate more mental health units in other sectors⁹ down,” he said.

Yet despite repeated requests, officials were unable to tell VOA how many doctors and nurses it has trained in mental health basics.

And with limited funds allocated¹⁰ – perhaps $1 million a year – it is unlikely that those in need of better mental health services will see improvements soon.

1 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

2 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

3 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

4 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

5 enrolling   

v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
• You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了，比利。 来自辞典例句

6 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

8 practitioners   

n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师）

参考例句：

• one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction 最了不起的科幻小说家之一
• The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. 这种技术是试验性的，但是采用它的人正在增加。 来自辞典例句

9 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。