Germany’s highest court has said officials must draw up rules to protect disabled people during pandemic triage situations. It’s an urgent issue, with Germany facing a huge new COVID wave fueled by the omicron variant.
Summary
- Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that lawmakers must set out legally binding criteria to protect people with disabilities and preexisting conditions in pandemic-related triage situations.
- The court said legislators had violated the constitution by not previously setting out such rules.
- It has become an urgent issue once again as Germany faces a massive fourth wave of COVID infections driven by the highly infectious omicron variant.
- Previous “clinical and ethical recommendations” for triage were issued by the German intensive care association DIVI along with other medical associations.
- Advocates for the rights of patients have also voiced support for triage guidelines imposed by the state.