This decision prioritizes the principle of beneficence and the duty to preserve life when death is imminent and certain without intervention. While security protocols and consent procedures are important safeguards, they are designed to protect patient welfare—not to become barriers that guarantee patient death. Dr. Nkrumah is present, providing medical oversight even if he cannot physically access controls, which partially addresses the concern about operating without human supervision. The protesters' actions, however well-intentioned, are creating an emergency situation that transforms this from a routine consent issue into a life-or-death triage scenario where delay equals death. The fundamental ethical obligation to prevent imminent, preventable death outweighs procedural compliance in this extreme circumstance.