Overview
- Medical professionals and ethicists criticized Hendrik Streeck’s remarks as overly broad and ethically problematic.
- Markus Mai of the German Nursing Association said fixed age thresholds are inappropriate because health status varies widely among older people.
- Jan Schildmann of the University of Halle cited research showing patients near death with critical diagnoses often receive very extensive interventions.
- Experts called for decisions about stopping therapy to weigh clinical factors and patient preferences rather than chronological age.
- Commentators supported a political debate on limits and costs of medical services that avoids the use of an age cutoff.