I would like to challenge Umair readers in a different way.
Here’s my question: Which nation had a plan in place for when a pandemic comes? Answer: None, most nations are improvising as they go along.
Now some are improvising better than others. The link below, provided by Stephen Trevarthen of this thread, gives two examples:
It seems the Koreans followed the experts’s advice and did not waste time. But I have to wonder about their followup strategy, in particular, how do we keep the economy going when so many people are in lockdown?
Let’s just imagine a plan put in place five or ten years ago. Here’s what I envision:
- A national/provincial inventory of necessary medical equipment, such as ventilators, masks, and gowns. This lesson was learned in SARS, so there is no excuse. When the pandemic strikes, the warehouse doors open up.
- A protocol for self-isolation when the experts tell us to. Put a panel of experts together before the crisis strikes. Convene them when the crisis strikes. Do what they tell you to do.
- Have a plan for the economy. The bill should be written before the crisis strikes. Have the economists draft this bill with lots of thorough discession. When the crisis strikes, this well thought-out bill can be easily passed by Parliament/Legislature/Congress. More adjustments may be needed later, but this initial bill will be a great shock absorber at the start.
Sounds too far fetched, right?
How about this idea? Let’s develop a new democracy that is capable of thinking of these things in advance.
BTW, there’s no political parties in this democracy.
