It is believed that the government should invest in medical research rather than in environmental protection. From my point of view, I disagree with this statement, and I reckon that both of them should be funded by the government equally.
On the one hand, that the government should sponsor medical research can be explained by its role in saving citizens’ health from harm. With the financial support of the government, many clinical trials of new drugs can be practiced. After that, various diseases, especially severe ones, can be treated using the drugs discovered. Hence, the country can achieve medical breakthroughs due to this, helping to enhance both mental and physical conditions of citizens. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, my country has sustained efforts to overcome the illness by deploying medical staffs, and medical methods including vaccines to keep residents safe, thereby preventing the sickness from spreading around.
On the other hand, environmental protection is also a matter of equal importance that the government needs to invest in for several reasons. Regarding diseases caused by environmental issues, the first measure taken is to enhance the quality of the environment, before elaborating on medical treatments. For instance, long-term exposure to air pollution can result in respiratory diseases, instead of just concentrating on researching new drugs, the more time-saving and economical way is to alleviate the severity of the air pollution. If the government had neglected the environment, great threats would be posed to human well-being, thereby rendering the sponsorship in the healthcare sector pointless.
In conclusion, medical research and environmental preservation are crucial issues that the government should invest in to ensure citizens’ well-being. Therefore, it is my firm conviction to lean towards the idea that both of them should be treated equally.