  In this paper, an optimal resource allocation framework is proposed for the
allocation of critical medical resources among different units during a
pandemic. The framework is developed by considering the dynamics of Pandemic,
hierarchical government structure, and non-uniformity of unit resource
requirement among different units. The cost function is designed to minimize
the difference between the demand, actual allocation, and ideal allocation,
where ideal allocation for a region is considered based on the predicted active
cases in a fraction of predicted total active cases of all regions. Different
cost functions are used at a different level of organization based on the
available information. The model can also accommodate severity of disaster in a
region in this framework. A sample allocation case study is presented for the
allocation of oxygen for different states of India.
