Bioética utilitarista y Covid 19 / Utilitarian bioethics and Covid 19

Ante la propuesta de reflexionar sobre Bioética Utilitarista y COVID 19, es importante antes que nada encuadrar este tema como "Pautas bioéticas ante una pandemia" tomando del principio de utilidad, una guía de acción para situaciones críticas en el campo de la salud. Sobre este tema se ha escrito mucho en los últimos meses, todos opinamos, pero nadie tiene nada claro y las decisiones se toman en el día a día, por cada país, cada institución, cada profesional y cada persona. En este contexto, se busca ayudar iluminando por medio de la reflexión bioética con el fin de hacer un aporte aparentemente sutil, pero necesario e importante: es hora que la bioética pase de la teoría a la realidad y salga a la calle, al consultorio, a las emergencias, a las carpas, a los sitios de triaje, a las terapias intensivas y también posicionarse en las decisiones políticas dándoles la luz que necesitan para ser más acertadas. Para ello se debe primero determinar qué es una catástrofe, tener en cuenta las acciones recomendadas por los organismos internacionales, las sociedades profesionales entre otras y finalmente proponer unas acciones encuadradas en el marco de unos principios y valores universales que nos ayuden en la mejor toma de decisiones

Given the proposal to reflect on Utilitarian Bioethics and COVID 19, it is important first of all to frame this topic as "Guidelines bioethics in the face of a pandemic "taking from the principle of utility, a action guide for critical situations in the health field. Much has been written on this topic in recent months, we all have our say, but nobody has anything clear and decisions are made on a daily basis, for every country, every institution, every professional and every person. In this context, it seeks to help by illuminating through the bioethical reflection in order to make an apparently subtle contribution, but necessary and important: it is time for bioethics to move from theory to reality and go out to the street, to the office, to emergencies, tents, triage sites, intensive therapies and also position themselves in political decisions by giving them the light they need to be more accurate. To do this, you must first determine what a catastrophe is, take into account take into account the actions recommended by international organizations, professional societies among others and finally propose some actions framed within the framework of principles and values universal to help us make better decisions

De los Comités de Ética Asistencial hacia una Bioética Institucional / From the Commithees on Assitance Ethics to Institutional Bioethics

Throughout these 40 years, the Hospital or healthcare Ethics Committees, either at the initiative of the professionals themselves or the health units and in the latter decade also on the recommendation of health authorities both at international and national level, this is how the Organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) in the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights of October 2005 (1) in its article 19 regarding committees: "Committees should be created, promoted and supported, at the appropriate level of independent, multidisciplinary and pluralistic ethics with a view to: a) evaluate ethical, legal, scientific and social problems relevant issues raised by research projects relating to Humans; b) provide advice on ethical problems in clinical contexts; c) evaluate the advances of science and technology, formulate recommendations and contribute to the preparation of guidance on the issues that fall within the scope of this Declaration; " (one) This consensus document does not specify whether the committees are of type assistance, research, local, national or international; however, it makes the characteristics of these and their functions. Considering: the premises of Gamboa GA. et al. (2) as well as the UNESCO recommendations (1), we can say that: "The Committees Bioethics are, in summary, those interdisciplinary instances of the institutions where they can well serve as a reflexive conscience for the personal and collective improvement of all who are part of that institution or benefit from its services