Ethical dilemmas on the right of access to palliative care in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The review of the topic aims to list some ethical dilemmas, involving equity, related to the right of access to Palliative Care (PC) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a theoretical reflection, using the Accountability for Reasonableness approach, by Norman Daniels, as a reference. The ethical dilemmas raised in the allocation of scarce resources to PC patients involved the right to access artificial respirators, dialysis treatment, pain relief medications, psychosocial treatment and access to places for the exercise of spirituality. It is essential to discuss the dilemmas pointed out so that the deliberation process in the allocation of health resources is carried out in an equitable manner, as directed by the principle of equity, which can use bioethical references to give greater transparency to decisions and that the population can understand them as just and justified.