Oh, no.   Not again!

So, yesterday, I brought conditions in dialysis centers to your attention.  Where conditions are fraught, where COVID-19 can truly become epidemic in each center.   That’s the reason why two competing firms- Fresenius and DaVita, along with a slew of other (much, much smaller entities) are working out a deal to set up COVID-19 specific dialysis centers.  The goal is to isolate patients suspected of harboring the virus and those already deemed positive, without sending these folks to emergency rooms.  (If they are symptomatic, those folks will be shifted to emergency rooms for treatment.)

And, the COVID-19 situation is bringing back terrible memories to me.

No, I have not lived through a pandemic.  Although the early throes of HIV were pretty scary before we knew more about the situation.  And, I lost many friends due to that disease.

You see, the situation that pertains in America, where there are insufficient ventilators to keep our sick citizens alive, is my déjà vu.  It started right after I decided that dialysis and renal failure issues would occupy a great deal of my thoughts and research.  When it became clear that America (and the world) lacked sufficient dialyzers to treat those suffering from renal failure.  (It doesn’t help my feelings of overwhelm that the most significant factor leading to the death of the coronavirus patients is kidney disease.)

So, the first God committee was formed.  To determine which patients had the best chance of survival.  And, treat them via dialysis. Leaving the others to die.

This was not a government affair.   It was the creation of the Swedish Hospital (Seattle).  When it was born in 1961, and dialysis was considered but a temporary affair.  But, then, Dr. Belding Scribner invented a Teflon shunt apparatus that could be implanted in patients- in essence, making an outlet that afforded easy and rapid dialysis access.  Which opened up the world to dialysis therapy.  But, that world faced a dearth of dialyzers.

Seven folks- a lawyer, a minister a housewife, a banker, a labor leader a surgeon, and a state government official- were empaneled to serve on this committee.  Specifically to protect physicians from having to make these terrible decisions.  And, their identities were anonymous.  Moreover, the potential patients were anonymized.

Was it perfect?  Hell, no.  The initial rules obviated all souls over 45 from undergoing treatment, because they were more likely to develop complications.  Children were barred from treatment so they wouldn’t be traumatized.

And, now, due to lack of foresight, failed execution, and political favoritism being practiced by TheDonald and his minions, we are now back in the same boat.  With communities across this great nation being short thousands of ventilators.  In other words, the party- the GOP- that railed about the “Death Committee” that was to be part PPACA- the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [a.k.a., Obamacare] which never was a fact- is now forcing our physicians, our first responders who are putting their lives at risk to save ours to make the decisions that 7 anonymous folks did-  and for that they will be traumatized.  Even as they must keep treating every patient they see.

Thankfully, our physicians and nurses don’t view themselves as heroes.  They view the work they are doing as part of their normal Hippocratic oath.  They effect Tikun Olam each day, putting their own lives at risk to ensure that we survive.

We’ve already heard the decisions that had to be effected among the population of Italy.  And, now, it won’t just be the Democratic-leaning states- these shortages will be US wide. Compounded by the failure of the GOP-led states to order self-quarantining.

Moreover, given the heinous beliefs many of these “leaders” have, I truly wonder how their beliefs about race, class, sexual identity will be used to tip the scales on who shall live and who shall die.

(You do realize that our poor, our minorities are the most likely to succumb to COVID-19.   Which will only be exacerbated as the politically-minded Supreme Court requires in-person elections during the pandemic.  It seems these two factors are but another page in effecting voter suppression.)

To put this in perspective, I will leave you with a revered prayer we Jews repeat often on the High Holidays- the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur.

On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem takes note, and, on Yom Kippur, the decision is confirmed.
How many shall pass and how many shall be created?
Who shall live and who shall die?
Who in their time, and who not their time?
Who by fire and who by water?
Who by sword and who by beast?
Who by hunger and who by thirst?
Who by earthquake and who by drowning?
Who by strangling and who by stoning?
Who shall rest and who shall wander?
Who shall be safe and who shall be torn?
Who shall be calm and who shall be tormented?
Who shall become poor and who shall get rich?
Who shall be made humble and who shall be raised up?
But teshuva(repentance) and tefilla(prayer) and tzedaka(money) deflect a harsh decree.

 

May you all live and prosper.