Who gets to live and who gets to die? When physicians have to make these decisions- it is grueling. My husband works as an ICU physician at SUNY Downstate and runs a full ICU despite the news saying numbers are declining. The vulnerable population in Brooklyn ends up at SUNY, doctors including my husband are working in the most horrific conditions where ICU beds are separated with plastic and duct tape…these physicians made a choice to commit their lives to serve the underserved rather than working at a high end state of the art hospital. The disparity between the over funded and under funded hospitals is unreal. This piece was inspired by my husband’s work in the ICU and the news that continually battled and begged for ventilators. The two poems are by Aarav and Arshya. If it interests you further- have a read at the two articles about SUNY:
Ventilator With A Virus
Graeme & Mary Sullivan
When I think of someone needing a ventilator, I think of those that are in a dire medical situation truly hanging onto their lives by a string. All we have heard in the last five weeks has been the shortage of ventilators and the skyrocketing number of people needing them. In some cases, a single ventilator was used for two patients. Today’s journal entry became just that—hanging by a string onto dear life. Faintly beating hearts, all on a single unit, relying on strings to save their lives.
Jolanda Dranchak,
Amita Rodman
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