Hospitals across Germany are inadequately prepared to handle the increasingly necessary measures for heat protection. According to a survey conducted by the German Hospital Institute for the German Hospital Association (DKG), which has been reported by the newspapers of the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland,” only a fraction of patient rooms are currently equipped to be cooled.
The findings reveal that only 41 percent of hospitals possess the capacity to actively cool patient rooms, such as using air conditioning; consequently, 59 percent of facilities lack such an option entirely. Even among those hospitals with the fundamental ability to cool, cooling is only implemented in approximately one in four rooms on average (24 percent), with intensive care units being excluded from this statistic. This average is significantly skewed by the fact that half of the hospitals equipped with cooling capabilities only maintain up to 11 percent of their rooms in cool conditions, whereas the bottom quarter manages a maximum of five percent, and the top quarter achieves at least 30 percent. The survey also indicated that patient rooms in general hospitals are generally better equipped for cooling than those in psychiatric facilities, with 458 facilities participating in the overall assessment.
Gerald Gaß, the head of the hospital association, described the results as alarming. He stressed that just as patients and hospital staff must be protected against cold, they must also be safeguarded against heat. Gaß noted that while virtually no one would consider building a hospital without a heating system, the lack of adequate cooling technology remains a common standard.
The main barrier preventing improvements in heat protection is funding. A staggering 97 percent of respondents indicated that financial limitations prevent the necessary upgrades. This financial hurdle is compounded by the high level of bureaucratic requirements and the absence of flexible funding mechanisms for such measures. Gaß explained that the deficient investment cost funding provided by the states is the underlying cause of the lack of cooling technology. Although states are legally obligated to participate, they currently cover only about 60 percent of these costs, leaving hospitals unable to shoulder the costs of cooling equipment and other essential investments alone.
The severity of the heat problem is reflected in public health records; the Robert Koch Institute reported that 12,500 people died from heat this summer alone, with new figures expected shortly. Gaß deemed it shameful that such a high death toll is required before action is taken regarding heat protection protocols in hospitals, nursing homes, and similar institutions. His goal is now that significant improvement will become visible as early as next summer.
