MARCH 26, 2020
KARO-NA! A Sick City
“Lockdown is better than knockdown” by Alec Smart
This appears to be a new mantra of human survival. The world is under siege. Wuhan has handled 48,557 sick people with 2,169 deaths. Lombardy has 32,346 sick people and 4,474 deaths. New York has 33,030 sick and 366 deaths. London has 3,247 sick people and 168 deaths. These statistics show that a small number of sick people in each city put a significant size of the population at great risk, which today has become an existential crisis for the entire world. Consequences: shattered economies, collapsed education systems, transportation systems at a halt, wasted productive man hours, unhappiness, anxiety, etc. The list is never ending.
In a perfect normal city or society, it is not that people are not sick and health infrastructure does not need to take care of these people, but the intensity or degree of sickness is muted. Therefore, every city’s healthcare system is taking care of such situations. Sickness does not always disrupt the functioning of cities and societies. The dysfunctionality is confined to certain sections in certain areas. Functional cities are even prepared and equipped to handle deaths by operating crematoriums and graveyards as ordinary aspects of human existence or nonexistence.
What does it take a normal city to function? The government at the top doing its job of policy making and creating enforcement mechanisms for operating a perfect functional city. People down the order are assigned respective jobs to execute tasks given to them, which enables the city to operate. Commerce functions on its own in terms of demand and supply. Then comes the functionality of human needs; food, housing, health, transportation, education, entertainment, work etc. All stakeholders carry out their respective roles depending upon their capabilities, abilities, desires, aspirations etc. This is the world we are living in today. If we look around today, the assessed gross impact of COVID-19 is humongous and unascertainable at this stage in terms of human as well economic impact. On top of this, we cannot guess timelines with the best technological capabilities we have. Also, as suggested by experts, the regularity and intensity of pathogens will certainly enable these kinds of diseases to reoccur in our lives.
So what is the solution! Vaccine? Isolation? Preparedness?
Here is the one I SUGGEST!
Looking at the number of sick people in each city, we should create one COVID-19 city in each country and sick people from every nook and corner of the country can be shifted to this city. Such a city should be divided into four compartments; a) areas dealing with highly critical cases, b) areas dealing with infected people, c) areas dealing with people with some signs of flu, and d) areas dealing with cured people. These cities can function like any other normal city. The facilities there would operate and function like temporarily leased areas and people can come and stay for short durations. These would have markets, parks, working buildings, entertainment etc. All means of transportation like trains, buses, and airlines would function as per the requirements in the city.
Although I am not an economist, I can certainly say that this does not require a two trillion dollar package to deal with COVID situations. Looking at the number of affected persons in the most infected countries, such cities at any given point of time would be dealing with sick people ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 in number terms. Just imagine the level of risk when such a small number of sick people are living amongst a population size of ten million or more. The comparative analysis in terms of creation of infrastructure, resources and involvement of a number of brave people, on a mathematical and algorithmic level makes a great case for such cities.
Is this a bizarre thought or a script for a future film? I am certainly claiming copyright over it.
Now, you judge it!