Germany expecting war?; Healthcare must be ready

"It would be stupid to say that we are not preparing for a military conflict and then casually think that it will not happen because of that," Lauterbach said in an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.

He responded to a journalist's question as to whether his statement that German health care must be better prepared for all disasters, including military conflicts, was spreading panic, reports DW.

Before that, the social democratic politician said that the German health system "besides pandemics, must also prepare better for major disasters and possible military conflicts".

"Sitting idly is not an option. We also need a turning point in healthcare, especially if we take into account the fact that in the event of an attack on one of the NATO countries, Germany would become a hub for treating the injured from other countries," said Lauterbach.

He said that the plans to restructure the German health care system began immediately after the current coalition came to power, but that those plans gained weight and relevance after, as he stated, "Russia's bandit attack on Ukraine."

For this purpose, coordination between the Ministry of Defense and Health has already been strengthened, the Minister said and announced certain legal changes by the summer.

He pointed out that in a crisis situation, every doctor, every hospital, every local health institution must know what to do.

"We need a clear division of responsibilities, for example, so that we can better distribute the injured among the hospitals," Lauterbach said.

In addition to civilian hospitals, Germany has the largest specialized Bundeswehr Central Hospital in Koblenz, reminds DW and adds that the task of the institution, founded in 1957, is to provide medical assistance to soldiers of the German armed forces who are injured or wounded during foreign missions.

The hospital has 506 beds, of which 125 are reserved for civilian patients, and employs 1,450 workers, 260 doctors and pharmacists.

In Weilerbach, in the district of Kaiserslautern, a new US military hospital worth more than one billion euros is currently being built, of which Germany is paying 151 million euros.

It will be the largest US hospital outside of that country, and the new hospital will be directly connected to Ramstein Air Force Base by bridge, according to DW.

The US military hospital will have a total of 4,680 rooms, including 120 examination rooms and nine operating rooms.