German doctor arrested for allegedly killing 2 coronavirus patients with lethal injection

The German police on November 18 detained a senior doctor at a hospital in the western city of Essen over the killing of two severely ill coronavirus patients. According to a statement by the Essen University Medical Centre, the Essen public prosecutor has initiated an investigation against the senior physician, who was employed at the hospital since February. The doctor is suspected to have administered a lethal injection to the patients, who were both seriously ill, the hospital informed. 

The statement read, “The medic was taken out of service immediately after the incident became known. The judge ordered him to be detained on remand. The investigation continues”. 

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According to Daily News, the 44-year-old doctor was arrested and the authorities said that he killed two patients, aged 47 and 50, who were being treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit. The German newspaper Bild reported that the incidents took place on November 13 and 17. As per the hospital, the doctor was immediately suspended and the officials added that they are cooperating with investigators.

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COVID-19 situation in Germany 

Meanwhile, the western industrial region of which Essen is a part is experiencing one of Germany’s most severe outbreaks of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, with 166 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population over the past week. On Thursday, Germany’s disease control agency, however, said that the coronavirus situation in the country remains serious, but there are signs that lockdown measures are slowing curbing the spread of the deadly virus. 

The head of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, said the outbreak is still "serious, very serious" and there's a risk that hospitals may be overwhelmed by the continued high number of cases. He said that while the number of new virus cases has remained stable, the overall number is still “far too high”. 

Germany had introduced tighter restrictions at the beginning of November, shutting restaurants, bars and gyms, but leaving open stores and schools. The Robert Koch Institute reported that the country has 22,609 new confirmed cases and additional 251 deaths due to the virus. 

(With inputs from AP) 

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