Do we really need a city to be supposedly 'Smart' when the metros of today lack even the basic healthcare facilities that are put to tatters with a wave of pandemic? Ar Sanjay Goel, Director, Ludhiana Smart City Ltd, questions the govt and urges to bring changes in the Smart City design to account for better healthcare facilities. A report by SURFACES REPORTER (SR).
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One of the most ambitious projects of the govt of setting up 100 Smart Cities under the Smart City Mission intends to make cities that are citizen-friendly, tech-savvy and sustainable. The technologically advanced cities aim to bring sustainability as the part of very fabric of the living which at present lacks from the rapidly urabinising culture of the country.
However, looking at the current pandemic that has brought the healthcare system on its knees, one of the most pertaining questions arises: how are these supposedly ‘SMART’ cities going to fight such large scale pandemic if happens in future?
Ar Sanjay Goel, Director, Ludhiana Smart City ltd and Chairman, IIA Punjab Chapter, in a letter to the Union Ministry for Housing & Urban Affairs has urged for the upliftment of healthcare facilities in the upcoming Smart Cities.
“Smart City only is of no use if it’s not properly liveable. Internal infrastructure or beauty is most important than external beauty of any city. Healthcare is the backbone of every civilization. Govt must construct more urban health centres and rural health centres for healthy and smart life of its citizens. CEOs of Smart Cities must work more immediately towards best health infrastructure.”
“Keeping in mind the current scenario as well as last one year happenings due to COVID-19, our upcoming Smart City SPVs/Board must first work on smart health infrastructure in respective city as only smart health can produce smart citizens for upcoming smart cities,” he said.
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Pointing out the shortage of beds and the shambling status of hospitals in almost every metro city, he surmised that the govt must act towards building at least one new hospital in every smart city.
“Our majority cities are short of beds in hospitals and many hospitals in cities are either very old or infrastructure is weak. Government must construct at least one new hospital in every upcoming smart city so that people can reach health services easily.”
SURFACES REPORTER (SR) too feels that though the scale of the current pandemic is such that wasn’t even the part of anyone’s wild imagination, our health infrastructure needs restructuring in order to better handle such situations in the future.
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