That CDU health politician Hendrik Streeck has clarified its statements on medical care for the very old. “It’s not about saving, it’s about saving something“How do we accompany them responsibly in the last phases of their lives – instead of giving them too much because of the wrong incentives,” wrote Streeck in a guest article for the “General-Anzeiger” and the “Rheinische Post” in Bonn.
In a TV debate, Streeck questioned whether very elderly people should receive such expensive treatment. Clearer guidelines are needed for self-administration when administering medication taking into account general health costs. “There are phases in life where you can no longer just use certain drugs,” Streeck said. The doctor referred to the example of expensive cancer treatment for a centenarian and the experiences he had in the last phase of his father’s life. Streeck’s remarks sparked outrage. The federal government distanced itself from this on Friday.
In his guest article, the CDU politician who is also a doctor wrote that the health system in Germany is still overworked by the standard that prolonging life is always the highest goal. “But anyone who has seen very elderly people fighting for their lives in an intensive care unit knows: not everything that is medically possible is also humanely justified.” In Germany, the elderly and very vulnerable are often “operated on” – not out of malice, but because the system creates the wrong incentives, doctors explain. But in cases like this, the patient’s wishes, his dignity, and his peace must be decisive. He urges, “Sometimes the greater concern is not doing everything you can.”
