Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

National hockey team goalie dies after cancer battle

Germany's national hockey team goaltender Robert Müller has died following a long battle with a brain tumour, his team the Cologne Sharks announced on Friday.

Published: 22 May 2009 15:23 CEST
National hockey team goalie dies after cancer battle
Photo: DPA

The 28-year-old passed away in Rosenheim, Bavaria, on Thursday, leaving behind his wife Jenny and their two young children.

“I am deeply saddened by the death of Robert Müller, he has left us far too early,” said Uwe Krupp, head coach of Germany’s national hockey team. “Through this death, we have lost not just a terrific team member, but a great person.”

In August 2008, Müller had surgery in an effort to remove the tumour and was back on the ice for the Cologne Sharks three months later. But in December of that year, his health worsened and he left the ice for the last time.

The Germany star was chosen by the Washington Capitals in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, although he never played for the team, and he later won the German Championship title with both the Mannheim Eagles and Krefeld Penguins.

“I am of course shocked,” said Markus Kuhl, team manager of Mannheim Eagles. “I knew him since we were little… He was 100 percent a sportsman.”

In 2001, Müller was recruited for the national German hockey team, making two Olympic appearances in 2002 and 2006.

His most recent team, the Cologne Sharks, have retired his number 80 jersey in his memory.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

HEALTH

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

Danish Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde has warned that, despite increasing activity at hospitals, it will be some time before current waiting lists are reduced.

Published: 10 May 2023 15:09 CEST
Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

The message comes as Løhde was set to meet with officials from regional health authorities on Wednesday to discuss the progress of an acute plan for the Danish health system, launched at the end of last year in an effort to reduce a backlog of waiting times which built up during the coronavirus crisis.

An agreement with regional health authorities on an “acute” spending plan to address the most serious challenges faced by the health services agreed in February, providing 2 billion kroner by the end of 2024.

READ ALSO: What exactly is wrong with the Danish health system?

The national organisation for the health authorities, Danske Regioner, said to newspaper Jyllands-Posten earlier this week that progress on clearing the waiting lists was ahead of schedule.

Some 245,300 operations were completed in the first quarter of this year, 10 percent more than in the same period in 2022 and over the agreed number.

Løhde said that the figures show measures from the acute plan are “beginning to work”.

“It’s positive but even though it suggests that the trend is going the right way, we’re far from our goal and it’s important to keep it up so that we get there,” she said.

“I certainly won’t be satisfied until waiting times are brought down,” she said.

“As long as we are in the process of doing postponed operations, we will unfortunately continue to see a further increase [in waiting times],” Løhde said.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we retain a high activity this year and in 2024,” she added.

Although the government set aside 2 billion kroner in total for the plan, the regional authorities expect the portion of that to be spent in 2023 to run out by the end of the summer. They have therefore asked for some of the 2024 spending to be brought forward.

Løhde is so far reluctant to meet that request according to Jyllands-Posten.

SHOW COMMENTS