German Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) said that the country’s health system must be prepared for possible war scenarios. “We have not been ready enough so far” she told the weekly magazine “Welt am Sonntag”.
The focus is on guaranteeing medical care for the population and, at the same time, treating injuries sustained by members of the Bundeswehr and NATO partners. To achieve this, clear responsibilities, functional communication channels, sufficient treatment capacities, and-if necessary-stockpiling of medicines and medical devices are essential. “In the summer we will present a draft Health Security Act to close this gap” Warken explained.
She did not specify which government department will ultimately oversee these tasks. “We will discuss this with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior” Warken added. “The law will be responsible for ensuring health care, and we will work closely with the armed forces”. Avoiding duplicate structures is crucial. The new joint task is a major challenge that requires human and financial resources.
Warken highlighted the biggest weaknesses as being the situation assessment, the quality of data, and the qualifications of staff. Training should be more crisis‑oriented: “Where are the capacities? Who has expertise in war injuries? How can we recruit volunteers? This is a new responsibility”. It remains unclear how many employees in the health sector possess the necessary skills for conflict situations; no central database exists, so a specific inventory is needed.
Hospitals play a particularly important role in a defence scenario. Responding to plans to close numerous small rural clinics under the hospital reform, Warken said: “We cannot keep structures open merely in case a defence scenario occurs. Yet we must consider, while reforming hospitals, which capacities are needed on the ground in a crisis”.
