Question

Paul Ramsey and James Childress are two bioethicists who have differing views on how medical services/ treatment should be microallocated. Briefly define the term microallocation. Describe the two approaches. Which you think one approach is more favorable (or just) than the other? Why?

Answer 1

Microallocation is a procedure where patient selection is done . The decidion is done regarding an individual person where one person is selected for a particular resource or treatment , when there is scaricity of resources and not every patient can get it . For example : Organ transplantation

There are two approaches :

1.Egalitarian approach : This approach was supported by James Childress. This approach states that all citizen of a country are equivalent and health facility or treatment shoud be given to everyone .No differentiations should be done on religion , ethnicity or culture or economic background.

2.Utilitarian approach : This approach was supported by Paul Ramsay. This approach states that if an individual has more value and more productivity in society microallocation should be given to him .

Egalitarian approach is more favourable as every citizen has right to health care and no discrimination should be done otherwise poor or social economic low background people will never get treatment which is unethical.