In this chapter of the book “Five Days at Memorial,” the failure of generators resulted in a critical situation where the nurses had to ventilate patients by hand, increasing the number of deaths and heat. The key decision that kept people alive was that they moved the sickest people first to the upper floor, which was slightly colder, and chose to limit supplies and ventilators. Of course, some people still died. Some decisions that they made were not good. For example, giving people morphine to relieve their pain instead of treating their conditions.
The man who came with the boat in the middle of the night, calling for help, came to help rescue people. He lived in the neighborhood. Pets were brought to the hospital because a lot of people didn’t want to go without them.
Despite their exhaustion and workload, Mark Leblanc, a hospital staff member, is shocked by the staff’s departure but believes it’s their duty to maintain a positive outlook. He came to save his mother.
The priority system for evacuating patients did not align with accepted triage practice, prioritizing patients based on their medical needs. A more ethical approach could be a combination of utilitarianism and principles like justice, fairness, and respect for human dignity. Triage medicine requires difficult decisions under stressful circumstances.