German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, a Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician, claims to have saved lives as a doctor on multiple occasions. He told the Funke-Mediengruppe that in the German parliament, such situations had occurred “one or two or three times”, but as a doctor, he had often been in similar situations, for instance, on long-haul flights or during vacations.
Lauterbach recalled a situation in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, where he had stabilized a patient with a severe heart attack until the ambulance arrived. He emphasized the importance of staying fit as a doctor, citing a situation where he was unable to help a patient who ultimately died. “That’s also happened to me and that’s difficult” he said.
During a discussion on healthcare in Potsdam, a woman suddenly crossed the street, misjudging the speed of a four-lane road and was hit by a vehicle before running in front of the minister’s car and falling to the ground. As a doctor, Lauterbach did what he could, but the woman later died. He reflected that, as a doctor, one often gives their all, but the patient still dies and that is part of the job.