German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced his intention to better equip the German health system to confront crises and any potential military conflicts.
In statements to the newspaper "Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung" published - today, Saturday - the minister said that his country must be prepared, not only in anticipation of future epidemics, "but also in anticipation of any major disasters or any potential military conflicts." Pointing out that he expects to present a draft law in this regard in the summer.
Lauterbach continued, "There is also a need for a time shift (a phrase launched by Chancellor Olaf Schulz 3 days after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, meaning to change Germany's defense policy) for the health system, especially since Germany could turn into a center for providing care for the injured and wounded as well." Other countries, in accordance with their obligations within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Lauterbach explained that the ruling coalition in Germany agreed to better equip the structures of the health system in anticipation of the occurrence of major crises, as part of the response to the (Covid-19) pandemic. He said, “After the criminal Russian attack on Ukraine, the importance of this challenge has unfortunately increased.” .
He added, "There is a legislative gap that we must deal with, in order to be prepared for a disaster or even a military emergency related to Germany's obligations within the framework of the alliance, no matter how few the chances of its occurrence are."
Lauterbach formulated the features of the new law as follows: “In crisis situations, every doctor, every hospital, and every health office must know what to do. We need to clearly define the powers, such as distributing a large number of infected people to hospitals in Germany.”
He added that reporting methods and opportunities to transfer patients across the country should also be clear. "Finally, the use and distribution of medical personnel in crisis situations must be determined. All of this must be practiced," he said.
The minister stated that he did not see the plans as a reason to cause panic.
He concluded, "It would be ridiculous to say that we are not preparing for a military conflict, and therefore it will not happen. By this logic, we do not need an army. Doing nothing is not an option."