Coronavirus queries (Part 4): Assignment of ventilators.

Abstract

Two young physicians consulted R. Moshe Feinstein, Iggerot Mosheh, Hoshen Mishpat, II, no. 73, sec. 2, with regard to triage dilemmas. In particular, they sought advice as to whether they might withhold life-prolonging attention from one patient in order to provide life-saving treatment to another patient. Institutionally, the same problem writ large occurs in situations in which a medical facility confronted by a dearth of ventilators may hold a ventilator in reserve for the benefit of a future patient whose life could be saved rather than making it available immediately to a patient whose life can be prolonged for only a relatively brief period of time. ¶ That dilemma confronted an emergency-room physician in Johannesburg, South Africa. The hospital possessed only a single ventilator and limited its use to patients who were expected to recover. The hospital was either concerned that a patient, once attached to the ventilator, could not lawfully be removed or the hospital was not prepared to do so over the protestations of a patient’s relatives. The doctor questioned whether he should abide by the hospital’s protocol or whether he should make the ventilator available to all patients on a “ first come, first serve” basis. That query was addressed by R. Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shi’urim le-Rofe’im, II, no. 164 and in his Hashukei Hemed, Bava Mez. i’a 62a; R. Shlomoh Zalman Auerbach, Minh. at Shlomoh, II, no. 82, sec. 2; R. Moshe Sternbuch, Teshuvot ve-Hanhagot, I, no. 858; R. Eliezer Waldenberg, Be-Shevilei ha-Refu’ah, no. 7 (Elul 5745), reprinted in Ziz. Eli’ezer, XVII, no. 10; R. Samuel ha-Levi Woszner, Teshuvot Shevet ha-Levi, VI, no. 242; and the late R. Moshe Soloveitchik of Zurich, Ve-ha-Ish Mosheh, II, no. 4. (from Introduction)