Prevention is better that cure.
A young man sometimes handles a razor blade carelessly, cuts his finger, allows the cut to go septic and, when the pain is unbearable, consult a doctor. The doctor prescribes a prolonged and costly treatment. Would it not have been better for him to have taken due precaution while using the blade? We can always protect ourselves against common ailments and diseases with proper precautionary, preventive measure.
But very often, something within us makes us ignore the possibility of trouble, even after we have seen the first symptoms of trouble. The result, very often, is that the trouble is aggravated and we egret our neglect when it is only too late. A man’s lack of foresight often lands him in serious trouble. Sayings such as ‘ Nip the mischief in the bud ‘, ‘ A stitch in time saves nine ‘ advise us to take prompt steps against impending trouble and ward them off right at the start. But even sounder is the proverb ‘Prevention is better than cure’ that advises us to take precaution so that the trouble is not allowed to affect us at all.
The proverb has universal application. Prevent a machine, a building, a road, a bridge, and so on from deteriorating by proper maintenance and timely repairs and no serious damage will result. Health authorities should take prompt, quick and effective steps against the outbreak of epidemics and there will be no epidemics resulting in mass misery and extensive remedial measures. Floods and famines must be dealt with efficiently. Even at the national level, many problems that we are facing today would have been non-existent has the government acted firmly, promptly and boldly at the very start.