Ethics for Surgical Professionals in COVID Times
Author(s): Suraj Lashkari and Shiv Joshi*
Abstract
Since the outbreak of COVID in 2019, it hasn’t been easy on anyone. Healthcare professionals and other front line workers are working odd hours to keep the general public safe. The increased patient load and mortalities with limited resources have forced hospitals to put a triage system in place. This has caused a delay in all elective surgeries and only emergency cases to be on the table. This isn’t easy for surgeons either, as they would have to operate and work for unbounded hours while wearing a PPE kit. The moral compass of each and every individual has a different tipping point, and the current pandemic has definitely put it to the test, but amidst this chaos, patient care has been a priority, at least theoretically. It is also important to consider the mental health status of doctors during the spread of COVID and how virtually very little has been done to make it better. It is also important to note the role of the individual patients and their relatives along with the “help” provided by the governments has also not been of much use, especially when attacks on doctors have been increasing daily, but it is also important to understand the commitments with which most of the healthcare professionals have been working tirelessly.