BERLIN/DEHLI. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) caused scorn and ridicule with a post. On X, formerly Twitter, he shared a selfie showing himself at the bedside of a patient in India. Next to him is the head of the clinic – unlike a German politician with no mask and no red dot on his forehead.

He writes about a visit to Ahmedabad in Gugarat: “This hospital is very digital and uses AI to provide better care for stroke patients, for example. We inform ourselves here about this technology, which is also of interest to Germany.”

Inside the Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad in Gugarat, India. dr Nair (right) is the head of the clinic. The hospital is highly digital and uses AI to provide better care for stroke patients, for example. We inform ourselves here about this technology, which is also of interest to Germany pic.twitter.com/gz4h8RErCJ

— Professor Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) August 17, 2023

Lauterbach and “Cultural Appropriation”

So far it has come to Germany, my user: Health ministers should travel to developing countries to find out how digitization works. “Germany got a technology tip from India. That’s what a traffic light made of former world champion German technology!” wrote one.

Others also criticized Lauterbach’s red dot: “Cultural appropriation!” repeatedly accused of it. With these keywords in mind, politicians in Germany have even outlawed the sombrero, which older women like to wear to dance performances. Tenor of criticism: For Lauterbach, what he wanted to dictate to Germany as a representative government did not apply.

Did Lauterbach hit his head?

The Minister of Health doesn’t seem to know what that means either. In India, bindi is mostly worn by women. Until recently, the traditional red dot was a sign of a married woman – similar to our wedding rings. Meanwhile, even unmarried people stick it between the eyebrows as a fashion accessory. As “Tilaka”, the red dot is also a sign of blessing and denotes Hindu piety. Then men wear them too.

Twitter users scoffed: “Vaccinations are always on the arm, not on the forehead,” one woman replied. Another commented: “Kopp hits or the jam roll slips out of your hand when you bite?” Or: “NOBODY has a red dot on their forehead – except you, Lauterbach. That’s embarrassing.” (fh)