In light of repeated assaults on medical staff in emergency rooms, Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) is demanding a stricter enforcement of the rule of law. Linnemann told “Bild am Sonntag” that it is “perfidious” when doctors, nurses, and caregivers are attacked in emergency departments where lives hang in the balance, emphasizing that the state must intervene.
Following discussions with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on the matter, the health minister declared that the state must implement a zero-tolerance policy against anyone who attacks individuals in such sensitive areas.
He called for the acceleration of legal proceedings in these situations, stressing that penalties must be swift. Linnemann stated that judgments should be delivered as quickly as possible, ideally within days or weeks. The CDU politician also urged that planned legislative tightening be discussed in Parliament without delay to perceptibly and promptly increase the protection of employees in the healthcare sector.
