‘The God Committee’ is raising awareness of the flaws in our healthcare system and we must act

Where a simple ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ gesture you make determines a patient's final breath.

However incomprehensible that may sound, screenwriter Austin Spark & Mark St Germain’s medical-themed psychological-drama puts us in a tough deciding spot, where the lines between right and wrong are entirely blurred.

Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles, Colman Domingo, Patricia R Floyd, Dan Hedaya, & Janeane Garofalo play members of an organ transplant committee tasked with the final say on which patients get healthy donors hearts in an hour. Little do they know in the next 7 years the results of their decision that fateful day will return to haunt them.

The plot is focused on the moral shade of grey of the five doctors. That is, beneath their stainless white coats.

Dr Boxer (Kelsey Grammer) is ignoring his crumbling marriage with his cynical wife Dr Jordan (Julia Stiles), Father Dunbar(Colman Domingo), a disbarred lawyer turned priest serving as a watchdog to the hospital board.

‘The God Committee’ is raising awareness of the flaws in our healthcare system and we must act Pulse Nigeria

Conserved Dr Lau(Peter Kim) still mourning his daughter who he lost to a ‘Drug overdose’, and Gilroy (Janeane Garofalo), a weary bureaucrat.

Throughout this medical drama, One cannot help but wonder how incomplete our general health system is when we realise there isn’t an adequate evaluation of the mental health status of the medics responsible for managing something as delicate as human life.

Of course, there are fundamental guidelines and protocols. But what happens when they are overruled by unmerited emotions and vague logic?

What happens when nepotism, inadequate insurance, racism, bribery, gender inequality, political interference. Supercedes the ‘guidelines and protocols’.

A conversation for another day.

Regardless of the pressing issues in public health ‘The god committee’ plays too safe around; amidst its mind-gripping scenes, The two-way storyline ends on a high note as a groundbreaking innovation in medicine is accomplished.

Which is ‘Integrating a Pig’s heart with the human body. So the ‘limitation of organs’ in organ donorship is conquered.

In this era of COVID, this hospital movie is a reminder, the relevance of public healthcare and all it entails can not have flaws like other sectors.

It must be free. It must be flawless. Most importantly, It must be fair.

---

Freelance Writer, Pop Culture Critic & Storyteller.

Reach out to me Israelnisola@gmail.com

-----

Pulse Contributors is an initiative to highlight diverse journalistic voices. Pulse Contributors do not represent the company Pulse and contribute on their own behalf.