An intensivist, Dr. Uwe Janssens, argues that the number of heat-related fatalities in Germany is significantly higher than estimated by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The medical director of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) believes the RKI’s estimates are too low.
Speaking to the Funke media group, Janssens explained that older individuals often lose their sense of thirst. They may not realize they are dehydrating or that they need to compensate for fluid loss. As liquid reserves dwindle, the concentration of salts in the body changes. The doctor noted, “People fall asleep and simply won’t wake up.” His observation is that the kidneys typically fail because people become dehydrated.
For instance, an 85-year-old person living alone with pre-existing kidney and heart conditions might “just die unnoticed.” Officially, the cause of death might be listed as organ failure, but the heat clearly played a decisive role. Since these deaths are often not well captured by standard statistics, Janssens suspects the RKI’s figures “do not portray the full drama.” He estimates that there are certainly thousands more deaths than officially recorded.
Janssens holds the government accountable for not doing more to protect vulnerable groups. He told the Funke newspapers that, as a citizen, he is extremely distressed by the inaction of both federal and state governments. He stressed the need for a mandated national heat protection plan, meaningful cooperation between the federal and state levels, and funding. He pointed out that fewer than a handful of emergency rooms are air-conditioned, and the cost of equipping just one room is between 15,000 and 20,000 euros. Scaling that up for an entire facility, he stated, is beyond the capability of a single hospital. He described the situation as a catastrophe.
In addition to better equipping clinics, the DIVI director added that increasing neighborhood assistance, providing more psychosocial support, and establishing comprehensive networks would help protect individuals at home earlier. Janssens looked to France as a model, where municipalities actively contact vulnerable citizens during heat waves. He concluded, “In our country, people do not only die from the heat; they ultimately die from societal neglect.”
