Food for thought We should solve the disease and not the sympt | ECONOMY by VIVEK SINGH

Food for thought
We should solve the disease and not the symptoms. We should solve the dengue epidemics by controlling mosquitoes and not by building hospitals; we should solve accident related health problems by improving road safety and not by building hospitals. We should solve respiratory ailments by improving air quality and not by building hospitals.

In light of the present covid crisis which created a havoc all over the country and specially in metros and Delhi was the worst affected, I would like to say that if the Delhi air would have been cleaner and our lungs (and this is clear from from the fact that everyone was chasing oxygen cylinders) would have been stronger then the impact of covid would have been less on us. The solution to this present covid problem is not in building too many hospitals (of course we should have good number of hospitals as per our population) but rather the State should focus on providing good air. [If too many hospitals are built and if this kind of crisis comes once in a century then it may be a wastage of public money also. But that is another matter that even to reach a reasonable level of hospitals we will have to build much more hospitals ]

People here in India (and in Delhi) are very happy when they get freebies like free electricity, free water, free ride for women in delhi buses etc. etc... But they do not get good air. "Air" is a public good and the STATE must try to provide us clean air and it should spend money there because no private company will ever provide/spend on good quality air (of course they can provide air purifiers just for your homes). Air is a public good (non excludable and non rival) and STATE is duty bound to provide us clean air. But for that the citizens will also have to say to the politicians that we do not want freebies like electricity, water ... as that we can purchase.................but we must get good quality air. Just think over it that why Governments do not take enough efforts in providing good quality air but are very much willing to give free electricity, bus ride and other things...............because providing good quality air is quite challenging and requires a lot of strategy/planning/effort/time which the govt. may not have/posses and they know that elections will come in next five years. So, better give freebies with taxpayers money rather than think for the long term health of the public. So, if politicians are not thinking about us then we must have to think for ourselves and ask for clean air and reject the subsidies/freebies.