German Medical Association Demands Action Against Surge in Violence Against Healthcare Workers
The head of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, is calling for a package of measures from the federal government, states and municipalities in response to the growing threat of violence against healthcare workers.
Reinhardt told the Rheinische Post that the new federal government and state interior ministers must take concrete action to counter this trend. “Attacks on doctors in clinics and practices, on rescue teams and on firefighters must be more severely punished” he said.
The medical association leader also emphasized the need for local authorities to provide private security services for emergency rooms in high-risk areas, where necessary. Additionally, he suggested that the police should maintain a stronger presence in and around hospitals to deter potential perpetrators and demonstrate that healthcare facilities are a protected space.
Furthermore, Reinhardt demanded that violent crimes be prosecuted more effectively and consistently, with the necessary resources for law enforcement and the judiciary. He also called for centralized reporting systems for attacks on emergency responders and medical personnel, allowing victims to easily report and document the incidents.
Reinhardt warned of the growing threat to the medical profession, citing a recent survey in which nearly half of all general practitioners and their teams reported being physically attacked in the course of their work over the past five years. He also pointed to a significant increase in violent crimes in the healthcare sector, as documented by the police’s crime statistics.
The medical association head emphasized that doctor’s offices and hospitals are places of healing and trust, but for many healthcare workers, they have also become zones of danger. “The brutal attack on a family doctor in Spenge and the recent threat to a doctor with a knife in the Düsseldorf University Hospital are two recent examples” he said. “These incidents must be a wake-up call for the government to finally take effective measures to protect doctors and other healthcare workers from violence.