Which patients should get a share of limited resources? What does it mean to do the greatest good for the greatest number? Where is the line between appropriate comfort care and mercy killing? Should doctors and nurses be held accountable for their actions in the most desperate of circumstances, especially when their government fails them?

The New York Times has published an article which highlights the story of Dr. Pou and her colleagues during the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. The arguments Dr. Pou makes about disaster preparedness deserve closer attention.