Tech giants should help poor kids

I’M NOT a fan of Tony Blair, but I have to agree with his call for laptops to be made available for deprived children now schools have closed. From the start of this pandemic, I’ve been worried that the plight of the poorest — especially children — is all too easily ignored amid the chaos of containing the virus. Closing schools has the potential to set back an entire generation of youngsters, and widen the gap between rich and poor. We can’t allow this to happen. But rather than having the Government dish out laptops and tablets, what about a big tech company stepping in to help out? The likes of Google, Microsoft or Apple could easily give free laptops to those in need, with it hardly making a dent in their astronomical profits. Come on tech firms, do your bit.

CHILLINGLY, draft guidance in a medical ethics journal suggests that doctors look at a patient’s potential to ‘contribute to society’ when deciding who to treat if the healthcare system is overwhelmed this winter. Doctors should never act as judge and jury like that. But I’ve seen worrying ageism during the pandemic, with doctors in Italy admitting they are prioritising younger patients. Ageism is one of the last ‘acceptable’ prejudices. ‘They were old anyway’ is often heard. But this suggests someone’s age means their life is worth less. If we said the same about any other characteristic there would be an outcry. Covid-19 means doctors will be faced with awful ethical dilemmas, but they must remember that ageism is always wrong.