What if some patients are more "important" than others? A possible framework for Covid-19 and other emergency care situations.

As the "first come, first served" criterion was not considered adequate, more nuanced and fairer clinical criteria were proposed to assess whom to treat first. One type of patients that has not been considered in the literature so far is that of "important patients", individuals that many people might consider worthy of priority treatment for the contribution they made or might make to society as a whole. In this article, we discuss the moral insights behind the possible treatment of "important patients" and suggest a supererogatory solution of voluntary renunciation/withdrawal. Details of the proposal are explained, and potential objections are addressed.