top of page

How to address resource allocation in health in a fair and just manner?

  • Aug 15, 2018
  • 1 min read

The right to healthcare is limited and there are conflicts of access or right to healthcare e.g. when it happens that two persons both need a donated kidney. There are limits in available resources.


1. scarcity of resources can be radical (not enough for everyone) or comparative (not enough to treat everyone now)


2. financial constraints (no money v unfair distribution)


3. increase supply and demand

- improved technology in treating more diseases (supply)

- innovations by pharmaceutical companies who need to generate profits (supply)

- people expect longer life (demand)

- nature of the treatment changes over time (supply)


4. macro-allocation: happens between government departments / hospitals


5. micro-allocation: happens between individual patients


6. global allocation

- equity: insufficient resources for medicines / staff

- responses: individual (moral duty to the country)

government (aid to citizens, any strings attached)

supplier (drug companies, moral obligations)


7. national allocation: some regions are more favoured over others?

socio-economic status affects access to healthcare?


8. need based analysis: decided by a range of people including medical professionals, managers, economists, politicians, public opinions, lobby groups, media


9. cost:benefit of treatment which aims at

- avoiding suffering

- prolonging life

- improving access to private healthcare


In UK, National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has the power to decide what treatments they would and would not prescribe.

 
 
 

4 Comments


John Williams
John Williams
Mar 25

What an incredible piece — Stanislav Petrov's story is one of those rare historical moments that genuinely makes you pause and reflect. The fact that he wasn't even supposed to be on duty that night, and yet his calm, analytical thinking under unimaginable pressure is what prevented a nuclear catastrophe, is both humbling and fascinating. What really stands out is how his decision went against rigid Soviet military protocol — he trusted his gut and his engineering knowledge over a flashing alarm system, and that instinct saved potentially billions of lives. It's a sobering reminder of how fragile peace can be and how a single individual's judgment can carry the weight of the entire world. Stories like this deserve to…


Like

Cathy Harrington
Cathy Harrington
Mar 25

I found this post really thoughtful in how it talks about making fair and just choices in health resource allocation and why ethical thinking matters in tough decisions. It reminded me of a time I had a heavy study load and used civil law assignment help in UK while trying to balance learning different subjects at once. That experience showed me that fairness and good support both make hard work easier.


Like

tuskrapp
Jun 18, 2025

Tuskr, a cutting-edge cloud-based solution, transforms testing with its powerful test case management tools. Craft expressive test cases, run flexible tests, and seamlessly integrate with chat and issue tracking. Benefit from enterprise-grade security and insightful metrics. With a generous free plan and flexible pricing, Tuskr is ideal for teams of all sizes. Begin your free 30-day trial with sample data for a quick evaluation. Our dedicated customer support ensures a refreshing experience. Experience the efficiency of Tuskr as your go-to test case management. Sign up for a trial today and revolutionize your testing.


Like

David Parker
David Parker
Feb 14, 2025

This article highlights a crucial issue in healthcare—ensuring fair and just resource distribution. Effective resource management is key to delivering better healthcare services while maintaining efficiency. Leveraging resource allocation tools can help healthcare providers track and distribute resources equitably, ensuring that patients receive the care they need while optimizing operational capacity.

Like
Featured Posts
Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
Follow Us
  • LinkedIn Social Icon
  • Twitter Basic Square

(CC) BY Tung Lam (林冬) HK

This license lets others distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered.

Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.

creativecommons.org

bottom of page