埃镑贬值后 埃及面临医药短缺.docx

埃镑贬值后 埃及面临医药短缺Egyptians Face Medicine Shortages as Pound Plunges埃镑贬值后，埃及面临医药短缺Fatima was already struggling to find cancer drugs for her father when a devaluation of the Egyptian pound this month caused the imported medicine to disappear altogether.自从这个月埃镑贬值造成进口药物短缺以来，法蒂玛就一直在为她父亲苦苦寻找治疗癌症的药物。Before, I could still find it if I searched in several pharmacies. Today I cant, said the 34-year old teacher, who asked not to be named in full.这位不愿透露全名的34岁女教师表示，以前只要找几家药店就能买到药了，但现在却无计可施。A dollar crunch over the past year had already driven up prices for imports including drugs, causing shortages in medicines to treat diabetes, heart and kidney diseases.埃及过去几年来的美元短缺已经抬高了包括药物在内的进口物品价格，造成糖尿病、心脏病和肾脏疾病药物的匮乏。That turned into a crisis this month after Egypt floated its currency as part of an economic reform package linked to a $12-billion IMF loan.11月份，在埃及获准世界货币基金组织的120亿美元贷款并实行自由浮动汇率之后，这样的短缺进一步恶化成为一场危机。The Egyptian pound, which had been pegged at 8.89 to the dollar, now trades at banks for up to 17 pounds a dollar.尽管埃镑对美元的官方汇率曾经固定在8.89，但现如今1美元却能换到17埃镑。Right after the central bank decision, distribution companies informed us there would be a quota for imported medicines each pharmacy can get, said Maryse Michel, who works at a pharmacy on a busy street in Cairo.Maryse Michel是开罗繁华市区的一家药店职员。她声称，在央行做出决策之后，经销商就告知各个药店，进口药物将进行限额。Every day people come asking for medicines I dont have - maybe 40 percent of clients, she said.每天都有顾客前来购买短缺的药物，而这样的顾客也许占到了40%。Distributors say importing drugs or their ingredients has become more expensive, but they cannot pass on the extra costs to clients as the government has set prices for the medicines.经销商表示，现在购买进口药物或配方价格更高了，但是他们却不能将埃镑贬值造成的额外支出转嫁给消费者，因为政府对药品进行了定价。The health ministry in turn accuses distributors of stockpiling the medicines to jack up prices.而卫生部则指责经销商囤积药品，抬高价格。-Too costly-Medicines are the latest products affected by the falling pound, with shortages in other imports as Egypt embarks on a painful austerity programme after years of unrest that have battered its economy.药价过高。药品已经是最晚遭受埃镑贬值影响的商品了。多年的动荡损耗了埃及的经济，同时触发了严苛的财政紧缩政策，致使进口短缺。Egypt has a large pharmaceutical industry, but it also relies on imported ingredients.埃及虽然也有大规模的制药工业，但其药品生产依然依赖进口成分。Ninety-nine percent of components of medicines manufactured in Egypt are imported, said Mohi Hafiz, a board member on the pharmaceutical division of the Federation of Egyptian Industry.Mohi Hafiz是埃及工业联会制药分部的董事会成员之一。据他透露，在埃及所生产的药品中，99%的成分源自进口。When the official dollar price goes from 8.8 to 17.7, it becomes too costly, he said.当埃镑对美元的官方汇率从8.8暴涨到17.7，药品成本就会变得过高。The state has to intervene, he said. If we dont find a solution in two or three months, well have a real problem.他还表示，国家必须进行干预。如果政府在两三个月之内还不能采取有效措施，那大家就要有大麻烦了。Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the government would not raise drug prices as distributors are demanding.卫生部发言人Khaled Megahed则表示，政府不会提高药价，让经销商如愿。The companies want to continue making a profit of 2,000 percent, he said. They spread rumours, say there is no more insulin, they stop distributing to pharmacies and impose quotas.他声称，制药公司的如意算盘是继续牟取2000%的暴利。正是这些公司散布谣言称胰岛素短缺；事实上，正是他们停止向药店供应药品并向药店施加限额。His ministry has issued reassuring statements, saying for example that the country has enough insulin to last seven months.卫生部已经发表声明安抚人心。声明中以胰岛素为例，告知国民该药品足以应付未来七个月的用量。Hoda, a 52-year-old pharmacist, accuses distributors of starving the market for drugs which they will then sell at a high price.一位名叫Hoda、52岁的药剂师指责经销商们囤积居奇。Hafiz denies this, but says distributors have set quotas.Hafiz驳斥了这种说法，但是承认经销商们确实设定了限额。The distributors need to control the flow of products put on the market. Otherwise they will have shortages in their stocks, he said.他辩称，经销商们需要控制市场上的商品流通，否则他们的库存就会出现短缺。Ordinary Egyptians, meanwhile, are struggling to cope.而对于埃及的平民百姓来说，这样的情况意味着挣扎。Fatima, who teaches in a private school, says she can get medicines from abroad whenever she leaves the country or if a friend visits Egypt.前文所提到的私立学校教师法蒂玛表示，她可以亲自出境购买或请游访埃及的朋友代购药品。Zeinab, a 25-year-old biomedical engineer, says she has to scour the black market for medicine for her mother, who suffers from kidney failure.而Zeinab，这位25岁的生物医学工程师，则必须遍寻黑市，为她患了肾衰竭的母亲寻