The patient protection organization has reported that hundreds of hospitals and nursing homes in Germany lack adequate cooling systems for extreme summer weather. This puts thousands of vulnerable people at risk. They demand urgent government investment in air conditioning and renovations of old buildings to prevent heatstroke. The situation is critical and requires immediate action from the authorities.
Technical solutions for buildings without cooling 🌡️
Modernizing these facilities requires efficient climate control systems, such as reversible heat pumps or adiabatic coolers that consume little energy. Improvements in facade thermal insulation and the installation of automated awnings or blinds are also needed. For historic buildings, low-consumption portable air conditioning units or nighttime cross-ventilation systems can be used. The cost is high, but preventing deaths justifies it.
The German summer: between beer and heatstroke 🍺
While politicians debate whether air conditioning is an unnecessary luxury, grandparents in nursing homes dream of a second-hand fan. Germany, a leader in engineering, cannot cool its own hospitals. The solution seems to be opening all the windows and praying that the north wind arrives on time. Or, as an ironic suggestion, installing barrels of cold beer in every room: at least dehydration would be fought with style.