PHI 382 Disaster Healthcare Ethics

After 9/11, preparing for and responding to disasters - natural, accidental, and intentional- have assumed a new level of urgency. Ethical issues of healthcare intersect on institutional, social, cultural, and personal levels. These include the reach of government powers, the scope of health professionals' duties, coercive measures for public safety, and the rationing of scarce medical resources (e.g. vaccines, ventilators, ICU beds). Lessons from the past and from other cultures will challenge our reflections on how society balances individual rights and interests with the public good and common ground. (L06).