I seek answers by Namrata Kaul

 Hello, my name is John. I am a robot. The creator created me to serve mankind in a way which is humanly impossible. I can do surgery, lift weights, rescue people stuck in floods, ice, fire, sea and many more. But there are some answers that I seek. I am not a human, I’m supposed to do inhuman task which others can’t do, but what if I don’t know how to do a task that is assigned to me? What if because of me innocent people die? I don’t know what is grief, joy, pain or hope. I am deprived of human sentiments and instincts but does it make my judgement better or worse? I am here to share a story; you tell me what you would have done or what you wouldn’t have if you were me. When India was hit by the second wave of Covid-19, thousands and thousands of people were getting affected and dying every day. There was scarcity of clinical oxygen, ventilators, doctors, medical stuffs and hospital beds all over the country. During this time, I was sent to a remote village of Karnataka. In that village, there was only one medical center and in that medical center there was only one doctor, one nurse and 50 hospital beds. The population of the village was more than 500. And people coming to the medical center with breathing issues are 20, 25 or 30 per day. By the time I reached there with oxygen all other medical supplies, almost 150 patients were sitting or laying in the floors or beds of the medical center, and the village had witnessed more than 50 casualties of covid. I built single handedly a medical camp with 50 beds and was assigned the task to shift critical patients to that camp and connect them with oxygen, while the doctor and nurse were attending newly arrived villagers with covid symptoms. I started at the end of the ward and were carrying patients to the medical camp who have SpO2 below 70 and who immediately need oxygen or ventilator. I transported 49 patients like that. But when I came back to take the last one, I saw, there were three critical patients with SpO2 below 70 and immediate need of oxygen. But only one spot was left at the medical center and only one person could have oxygen. Three patients were 

Ruma, 10-year-old girl, malnourished, SpO2 68-69, fever 102, left lung inflammation, SpO2 decreasing from yesterday. 

Manoj, 65-year-old man, diabetic, SpO2 65-67, fever 101, both lungs affected, breathing hysterically, needs immediate oxygen or he will die. 

Ramalingam, 40-year-old man, only son of village head (it was written in his medical record I didn’t understand why), heavy smoker, SpO2 65-67, fever 100, lying unconscious, both lungs affected, came to the center just this morning. 

I was told to shift the critical patients to the medical camp and only one spot was left and I had to choose one among these three. I chose Manoj, because according to my judgement he was the most critical patient. I shifted him to the medical camp and gave him oxygen. By end of that day, all three died. Ruma died within 1 and half hours, Ramalingam died after her, and at night Manoj also took his last breath. I couldn’t save any of them, I was told my judgement was wrong. I was told I chose the wrong patient. 

Can you tell me who would have been the right and why? I seek answers