Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've sure you've already considered this, but wouldn't any kind of training program of the sort you describe risk diverting resources from current operations?
It's possible. That's something that would have to be weighed against how bad we expect shortages to be and how much we expect amateur ventilator-operators to help. Given that we likely have more spare doctor cycles now than we will in the future, we should utilize them now. We can also do things like hire doctors from countries not as badly stressed to come teach the classes.
And of course there are many levels to addressing bottlenecks. For example, operators wouldn’t have to be amateurs at first, they could be any of the non-essential medical professionals who are not able operate business as usual due to the virus. Could a podiatrist or urologist operate a ventilator given enough training?
In general we are brainstorming proactive measures. I think, at least in the US, we continue to have a reactive as opposed to a proactive strategy because of our decentralized government structure as well as the delicate balance between effective mitigation and maintaining social order. While we should be leveraging the current shelter in place strategy to build as much healthcare infrastructure as possible (both physical and technical, as per the thread) to handle slowly returning society to normal operations, we probably are not moving fast enough. In several weeks, as the unemployment and anxiety builds, so too will unrest. And I guess then it will really be a test of a nation’s people.