Equal Opportunity Within Times of Crisis

The Covid-19 pandemic could lead to the rationing of services and care that could result in the loss of lives within our society. Central to the discussion of rationing are the issues of equal opportunity to access medical supplies, life-saving preventative devices, and medical interventions. The rationing of services could also highlight current inequalities within our healthcare system. Currently, significant health disparities exist between various groups in America. Consequently, every effort must be made to ensure equal access to services and care for all within this time of crisis.

Equal Opportunity

During the Covid-19 crisis, everyone in the United States should have an equal opportunity to access life-saving prevention devices and medical interventions regardless of race, gender, disabilities, religious beliefs, etc. In other words, everyone who needs to be tested for Covid-19 should have the same opportunity to be tested. Recently, I read on someone's Facebook post that the best way to know your Covid-19 status was to cough or sneeze on a rich person in America. While we may find this preposterous, my question is, do we currently have equal access to testing and medical intervention during this crisis? This question will be answered in the days and months to come.

Scarcity and Equal Opportunity 

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to train as a mediator in conflict resolution. I distinctly remember the trainer saying, "Wherever you have limited resources or opportunities, there will always be conflict." For example, if you have limited food supply after a disaster or a crisis and the situation is not addressed early, the likelihood of conflict over scarce resources is inevitable. The conflict in this context can be aligned with the need for survival. The Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to lead to conflict as states battle and compete to procure life-saving equipment and other resources. If the scarcity of resources is not adequately addressed, we will have a tsunami of problems that will ultimately lead to deaths. When resources are scarce, an atmosphere of competition can develop. Within any competition, you will have winners and losers. In this case, the penalty for losing may be death. Recently, social media highlighted a group of healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic using garbage bags as personal protective equipment. The scarcity of protective gear will place these nurses at risk of contracting the virus. In summary, everyone in our society including our health care workers should be given the same opportunity to survive.

Being Proactive

Equal opportunity requires all stakeholders to make plans to ensure all individuals in our society will have access to life-saving devices and medical interventions regardless of race, gender, disabilities, religious beliefs, etc. within a time of crisis. No one in the United States should die because of the lack of access to life-saving equipment, or medical treatment.

Conclusion

At this point, it is not time to engage in political discourses but rather to participate in discussions that will empower equal access to services and care. Doing so will require policymakers to immediately design and implement policies and procedures that will enable the production of the necessary resources needed in this time of crisis. Action should also come from members of our society who can assist by providing various resources. For example, one fashion designer recently turned his factory into a mask production facility for healthcare workers. Also, many times, people become advocates based on their life experiences. However, within this context, we all need to be advocates for equal access to services that could save lives. In reality, by advocating for equality and access, you could be saving your own life.