Patient protection groups are demanding greater safeguards for nursing homes and hospitals in light of the ongoing heatwave. Eugen Brysch, CEO of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, stated in a publication of the “Rheinische Post” that medical and nursing institutions remain inadequately prepared for climate change, meaning that hospital patients and 800,000 residents in care homes are expected to suffer under extreme temperatures this summer.
According to Brysch, even the most basic measures are frequently absent, sometimes lacking even basic external shading. He pointed out that heat protection plans often stalled wherever patient protection required financial investment.
He called upon the federal government to take action, urging Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) and Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) to commit to concrete investments this year, adding that the federal states also bear responsibility. Brysch insists that existing buildings must finally be adapted to climate conditions, while new construction must ensure that the indoor temperature does not exceed 25 degrees Celsius. He stressed that this can only be achieved if these protective measures are legally enshrined in the building codes of every federal state.
The Social Association VdK also voiced concerns regarding heat protection. VdK President Verena Bentele told the newspaper that many nursing homes and hospitals are insufficiently prepared for upcoming heatwaves. She noted that aging buildings lacking air conditioning put additional stress on the health of patients and residents, making it crucial for homes and clinics to be equipped for effective heat protection.
Scientific data underscores the urgency of the situation. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a heatwave that would have occurred only once every ten years in a climate before industrialization is predicted to occur around 2.8 times more frequently within ten years under present climate conditions due to human-caused global warming. Furthermore, if global warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius, the IPCC forecasts that such a heatwave would occur in more than half of every year and would be 2.6 degrees Celsius hotter than current extremes.
