Doctor | Gerhard Trabert now needs help himself

Many had hoped that Gerhard Trabert would still be elected to the Bundestag. But the 69-year-old physician will not be able to exercise his mandate. His family announced this on Tuesday. Trabert ran as the top candidate for The Left Party in Rhineland-Palatinate in the last federal election and won a seat. However, he was unable to exercise his seat – he suffered several strokes in January. Initially, it was said that he would be temporarily unable to perform his duties. Now the final decision has been made. Lindner will take his place in parliament.

Trabert's commitment to helping the socially disadvantaged shaped his life. After studying social work in the 1970s, he studied medicine in the 1980s. In 1994, Trabert created something unique: a mobile medical practice for the homeless . This became a model for similar projects in other cities.

Trabert repeatedly emphasized the connection between poverty and illness. To gain a voice for his central concern, he pursued various strategies: He took on professorships in Nuremberg and Wiesbaden, founded a publishing house, and became involved in the National Poverty Conference.

Finally, he ventured into politics. In 2022, he ran for the office of Federal President and seized the opportunity presented to him. At a meeting after the election, he discussed aid for the poor with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and criticized the turning a blind eye to the conditions of refugees. Until the very end, Trabert put his finger on society's sore spot .

Now fate has struck him himself. The doctor who helped others is himself in need of help.