Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. intensive (adj.) [in-ten-siv] – needing a lot of work, resources, or focus
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. intensive (adj.) [in-ten-siv] – needing a lot of work, resources, or focus
Example: A heart attack patient
receives intensive care at the
hospital.
2. discharge (v.) [dis-chahrj] – to allow a patient to leave the hospital
Example: The doctor discharged the patient who was feeling
much better after the treatment.
3. prejudice (n.) [prej-uh-dis] – an unfair opinion made about a person or thing
Example: Many people have a prejudice against homeless persons, who
are thought of as useless and lazy.
4. complex (adj.) [kuhm-pleks] – made up of many different parts that are connected to each other
Example: Homeless people suffer
from complex problems that involve
physical, mental, social, and emotional issues.
5. urgent (adj.) [ur-juhnt] – very important and needing immediate attention or help
Example: The emergency
department treats urgent cases like
gunshot wounds or heart attack.
Article
Read the text below.
A government-commissioned
report in the UK is putting pressure on National Health Service hospitals
(NHS) to provide more intensive
treatment to homeless patients.
According to the
report by charity groups Homeless Link and St. Mungo’s, NHS public hospital
care for the homeless costs five times more than the care for regular patients. This
is because homeless patients have multiple health problems and keep getting re-admitted
to hospitals.
The report advises NHS
hospital staff to identify which patients are homeless and give them
intensive medical care, instead of discharging
them immediately. Hospital staffs are also advised to coordinate with organizations
that provide housing options for the homeless.
Homeless Link’s Matt
Harrison says homeless people are the ones most in need of medical treatment,
but they receive the worst treatment. In the report, 57 homeless people were
interviewed about their hospital experiences. Some reported not being allowed
to enter the hospital and being discharged onto the streets without shoes.
Others said they
avoid telling hospital staff about being homeless because they are afraid of prejudice.
Dr. Nigel Hewitt from
London’s University College Hospital (UCH) says hospital staffs also feel
uneasy. Hospital staffs are afraid of violence and the complex problems brought by homeless patients.
From experience,
however, Dr. Hewitt learned hospital staffs can form relationships with
homeless patients and better help these people when hospital staffs work as a
team. The UCH has already saved £100,000
by doing such method.
As the economy
weakens in the UK, medical treatment of the homeless is expected to become an
even more urgent financial issue.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Why do you think homeless people face a lot of prejudice or dislike from others?
·
Can you give ways in which homeless people can
be helped?
Discussion B
·
Do you think hospitals in your country are very
careful and intensive when treating patients? Why or why not?
·
Is the attitude of hospital staff important for
patients in the hospital? Please explain your answer.