Do you want to play God ?

Do you want to play God ?

Recent tragic events in Europe, post the Wuhan virus pandemic, have brought to fore, the oft repeated challenge that mankind has faced since time immemorial. Confronted with shortage of critical medical equipment, health care professionals are having to make the most difficult choice and decide as to, who gets offered the scarce medical facility /Equipment , the in severe demand medical attention first and therefore who gets to live.

While not in the bit being envious, of those having to make such painful decisions, I have always contemplated how the situation would play out. When scarce medical resources have to be apportioned, normally, I am given to understand that age would be a deciding factor. However, what if, for instance, there were more than one person of the same age. Would gender be a deciding factor, would financial status, race, colour help the roll of the dice one way or the other.

Historically this has played out in war fields, wherein, there are a lot of injured soldiers, Medics, generally give preference to those who have a better chance of recovering and are more likely to survive the hostile environment as well as limited medical facility. In an epidemic like Cholera, in the past, in remote areas, wherein, access to IV fluids and other medical supplies were often limited, preference would be given to those moderately infected and with a better chance of survival.

Various Medical Associations world over, have attempted to frame guidelines to help Health care providers make this difficult decision. The general consensus has been to prioritize, in favour of younger, healthier individuals with better chance of survival.

In recent times, the worst Covid19 infected individuals, have had, their ability to breathe on their own, severely impaired and need assistance in the form of mechanical devices that can force life saving oxygen through their airways. The most efficient of such machines are ventilators and are in severe shortage world over.

Medical professionals, world over are likely to face a situation, wherein, they get to decide who gets priority in terms of access to a ventilator, in short who gets to live. The general objective has been to save more lives, save more life years. Hence obviously first come first basis does not hold good here. Many medical association guide lines indicate, that priority has to be given for Healthcare workers, for they have been infected while trying to save the lives of others. However, all these guidelines have been framed with the past as a reference.

However, the COVID 19 pandemic is nothing even remotely like anything, the world has experienced hitherto, or was prepared for. We are now in the realms of the unknown. Considering the new challenges that medical professionals have been facing every day, it is quite likely that the Doctors on duty may have to take such a crucial decision, based on whatever limited information they have. Who gets priority access to scarce medication? Who gets to be put on a mechanical breathing device which gives him / her a better chance of survival ? Which way does the dice roll ?

 Is it fair to ask some poor, sleep deprived, overworked, hungry, weary and exhausted individual to take such a decision?  No! . Is there any other alternative? I don’t know. What I know for sure without an iota of doubt is that I would never want to be in such a situation.

 Do I want to play God?  No thank you. I pass.