“飞行医生”是澳大利亚医疗制度的一大特色。由于澳大利亚是一个面积广阔，人口稀少的国家，政府专门设立了远程医疗服务体系，对住在边远地区的孤立居民点和家庭，借助高科技的通讯手段和先进的交通工具提供空中医疗服务。然而由于肥胖症患者的日益增加，他们发现需要为“飞行医生”和患者准备更大的飞机了。

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: 皇家飞行医生服务队。它是澳大利亚一个独特的组织。1928年，由澳大利亚基督教长老会的牧师约翰·弗林所创立。它在每天24小时和一年365天内都通过航空提供紧急医疗和保健服务。服务的对象是在澳大利亚偏僻内地居住、工作和旅行的人们。飞行医生服务队平均一年接触183,000个病人，其中17000人被空运到其它医院去治疗。该服务队共有17个医疗基地和38架飞机在它所管的715万平方公里的“领空”上飞行，平均每年约飞行1200万公里。飞行医生服务队用飞机对病人进行急救的工作获得人们的普遍赞扬。服务队在继续为偏远地区人民的基本保健发挥作用的同时，每年还在5000所保健卫生站工作，治疗患者约有117000人。此外，飞行医生服务队的大夫和护士们还通过无线电和电话为居住在边远村落的人们提供咨询服务，这在服务队的工作中也占很大比重。飞行医生服务队平均每年约需4300万澳元的开支。它得到联邦、州和地方政府的经济支持，同时也依靠工商界和公众的赞助。

（实习生许雅宁，英语点津编辑）