[fgummett]

Ever watch MASH? I assumed they were talking about how to ration medical facilities in the event of a pandemic... in the military it is called triage and basically comes down to the most effective use of limited facilities. Under normal conditions in the ER for example, the most severely injured would take priority... but consider the number of resources being devoted to that one person who may have a poor chance of survival anyway... whereas under triage they may be placed aside and kept comfortable while those same resources may be able to help several people who have a greater chance of survival. It's not a moral question simply a pragmatic approach but of course it has moral implications. War or pandemic changes the rules... rather than trying to save everyone no matter what the cost... an approach which would quickly become overwhelmed and end up helping no-one... it becomes a case of saving the majority at the cost of a few. Triage is also not always a death sentence either... the critically injured who is set aside is kept comfortable and minimal care is applied to try to keep them alive. If they are still alive after the rush is over they will of course then receive priority treatment.