[ti:Nurses Group: Rich Countries Hiring Nurses from Poor Countries] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]An international organization of healthcare workers is worried [00:04.44]that a shortage of nurses and the COVID-19 pandemic [00:09.36]will worsen healthcare problems for poor countries. [00:15.44]The International Council of Nurses (ICN) [00:20.52]represents 27 million nurses worldwide. [00:25.96]The ICN said, even before the pandemic, [00:30.52]there was already a shortage of 6 million nurses, [00:35.36]with 90 percent of the shortages in poorer countries. [00:42.40]Howard Catton leads the Switzerland-based organization. [00:47.36]He said increased infections caused by the Omicron variant [00:53.72]made the nursing shortage even worse. [00:57.72]Western nations have dealt with the problems [01:01.68]by bringing back retirees and volunteers to the workforce. [01:08.08]Now, Catton said rich countries including the United States, [01:14.48]Germany, Canada, and Britain are offering nurses [01:19.92]from poor countries more money to come. [01:24.68]The nurses come from places like sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. [01:31.40]Besides money and better working conditions, he said, [01:36.32]some nations also make it easier for nurses [01:40.48]to permanently move to new countries. [01:44.88]"I really fear this 'quick fix solution'," he said. [01:50.84]Catton compared the situation to a time when wealthy nations [01:56.04]bought more face coverings and vaccines than they needed. [02:01.24]He added, "if they do that with the nursing workforce [02:06.40]it will just make the inequity even worse." [02:11.84]Catton added that rich countries are taking advantage of poor countries [02:18.40]which educated the nurses but now cannot use their skills at home. [02:25.00]He said healthcare organizations around the world [02:28.48]need to start thinking about a 10-year-plan to add more nurses. [02:34.56]He said the immediate problem of the COVID-19 pandemic is one thing, [02:41.28]but a greater problem is ahead. [02:43.92]He explained that people have held off on surgeries [02:48.60]and other important procedures during the pandemic. [02:53.00]Once the virus is under control [02:55.80]and more people come back into hospitals, [02:59.04]the nursing shortage will continue. [03:03.12]"We need a global effort," he said. [03:06.00]"Not just warm words and platitudes." [03:10.44]I'm Dan Friedell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM