When Demand Outstrips Supply: A Christian View of the Ethics of Healthcare Resource Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

  • James Haslam Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
  • Melody Redman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v7i1.369

Keywords:

Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pandemic, Bioethics, Christian Ethics, Rationing

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents the greatest challenge to global healthcare systems in living memory. This article deals with the ethics of rationing the supply of scarce healthcare resources, such as ventilators, during periods of high demand, such as the current pandemic. Existing ethical guidelines and commentaries are cited and critiqued from a Christian ethics viewpoint.

Author Biographies

James Haslam, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

Consultant in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Wiltshire, UK. He is married with three children and has interests in Critical Care, Advanced Ventilation, Medical Education, Ethics, Theology, Philosophy and Christian Apologetics.

Melody Redman

MBBS, Paediatric Trainee & Leadership Fellow, Sheffield, UK

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Published

2020-04-27

How to Cite

Haslam, J., & Redman, M. (2020). When Demand Outstrips Supply: A Christian View of the Ethics of Healthcare Resource Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Christian Journal for Global Health, 7(1), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v7i1.369