New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- The German government has sharply rejected accusations by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claiming that it has been sidelining patient autonomy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The statements made by the US Secretary of Health are completely unfounded, factually incorrect, and must be rejected," German Health Minister Nina Warken said in a statement late Saturday.

Kennedy said in a video post earlier on Saturday that he had sent the German minister a letter based on reports coming out of Germany that the government was "limiting people's abilities to act on their own convictions when they face medical decisions."

The American health secretary said that "I've learned that more than a thousand ...