Abstract

The distribution of scarce critical care resources during public health emergencies in an ethically justified manner has been widely acknowledged as a major bioethics concern. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that critical care allocation during a pandemic emergency should uphold basic biomedical principles through maintenance of procedural justice which requires decision-making that is consistent, impartial, neutral, and nondiscriminatory. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health systems, even in developed countries with robust existing health infrastructure, have experienced sustained demands that have compelled the rationing of critical medical infrastructure, especially ventilators and intensive care beds.