Ethical rationing of healthcare resources during COVID-19 outbreak: Review

Summary While rationing of healthcare resources is inevitable even in the most developed economies, particularly on the wake of a pandemic, ethical basis of its implementation needs to be reviewed. With sudden and huge demand for drugs and medical supplies and equipments, the need for rationing arises and thus the concept becomes unavoidable. Thus, we aimed to review and analyse on the key ethical issues in the concept of healthcare rationing. Our search in various PubMed databases resulted articles explaining on the concept of strategizing the priorities based on universal ethical principles of justice, benevolence and ensuring equality rather than wealth, power, geographical location or other personal biases. Concrete and pragmatic regulations and guidelines for systematic rationing have to be framed and followed. In addition, physicians being sensitive and empowered on deciding bedside rationing in coordination with the recommendations of ethicists and healthcare officials, will ensure fair practice.