再穷也有追求美的权利：印度穷人将可免费隆胸

A south Indian state has become possibly the first in the world to offer publicly-funded breast implants, its health minister arguing, “Why should beauty treatment not be available to the poor?”

印度南部的一个邦或许是世界上首个提供公费隆胸福利的地方。这个邦的卫生部长表示，“为什么穷人就不能接受美容服务呢？”

The Tamil Nadu state health department on Wednesday launched the free service at a clinic in the capital Chennai. “If we don’t offer [the procedure for free, they may opt for dangerous methods or take huge loans for it,” said C Vijaya Baskar, the state health minister.

本周三泰米尔纳德邦卫生部在首府金奈的一家诊所推出了免费隆胸服务。卫生部长C·维加亚·巴斯卡说：“如果不提供免费隆胸，穷人可能会选择危险的隆胸方式或者借高额贷款去隆胸。”

The clinic had already been providing breast reconstruction surgery for cancer patients, but was now extending the service for people who wished to alter the size of their breasts for other health or cosmetic reasons.

这家诊所已经在为癌症病人提供免费乳房重建手术，现在又将这一服务扩展到出于其他健康或美容原因想改变乳房大小的人。

The head of plastic surgery at the clinic, Dr V Ramadevi, said some of her patients sought breast reduction to alleviate shoulder and back pain, while others sought to augment or shrink their breasts for a boost in confidence.

诊所整容科主任V·拉马德维医生说，一些患者做缩胸手术，是为了缓解肩膀和背部疼痛，还有一些人是为了提升自信心而想隆胸或缩胸。

“There is a psychological benefit. Many girls who have larger breasts don’t like to go out. There is no reason this surgery should be restricted from the poor.”

“乳房手术对患者的心理有好处。许多大胸女孩都不爱出门。我们没有理由限制穷人做这种手术。”

The procedure would also be available to men, she said.

她说，免费胸部手术也将对男士开放。

Cosmetic surgery has slowly grown in popularity as Indians have became wealthier, with about 420,000 procedures performed in 2016, compared to about 390,000 six years earlier.

随着印度人变得富裕起来，整容手术也渐渐变得受欢迎。2016年印度实施了约42万例整容手术，而在六年前，这个数字约为39万。

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there were about 33,000 breast augmentation surgeries carried out in India in 2016, versus about 50,600 procedures in 2010.

根据国际整形美容外科学会的数据，2016年印度实施了约33000例胸部手术，而2010年实施的隆胸手术为50600例。

But among the men the figure has grown, according to the same group, with 25,640 seeking breast reduction in 2016, an 11,000 increase on 2010 figures.

但是该学会的数据显示，印度男性胸部手术的数量却在增长，2016年实施了25640例缩胸手术，相比2010年增加了11000例。

Among the procedures that have surged in popularity are controversial “limb-lengthening” surgeries intended to increase a patient’s height.

另一种人气飙升的整容手术是备受争议的“肢体延长手术”，目的是给患者增高。

Apart from providing breast surgery, the Chennai clinic will also perform free cleft lip surgeries for children and hand transplants among other procedures.

除了提供免费的胸部手术，金奈的这家诊所还为儿童提供免费的兔唇修复手术，并提供手部移植手术等整容手术。

Tamil Nadu’s government is known for its largesse, particularly under former chief minister Jayalalithaa, who pioneered free food canteens and doled out wedding jewellery and venues to the poor.

泰米尔纳德邦的政府一向以慷慨闻名，尤其是前任首席部长贾亚拉利塔雅曾率先开办免费食堂，给穷人发放婚礼珠宝，提供婚礼场地。

A former public health director for the state, Dr S Elango, criticised this latest scheme. “[It] sounds populist, but it is not an ideal public health programme,” he told the Times of India.

这个邦的前任公共卫生主任S·伊朗哥医生批评了这个最新项目。他对《印度时报》说：“这听上去很亲民，但并不是理想的公共卫生项目。”

“State funds are required for emerging non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases. It is sad that we are now focusing on beauty instead of life-saving surgeries.”

“邦内的资金要用于应对涌现出来的非传染性和传染性疾病。现在我们却更关注美容手术而不是治病救人的手术，这很可悲。”