Hospitals in France are urgently adjusting their operations ahead of a new heat wave — Euronews
French medical facilities are urgently adjusting their operating procedures and implementing safety measures in anticipation of a new wave of extreme heat expected in the middle of next week.
The previous heatwave revealed critical gaps in the infrastructure, as hospitals operated at full capacity, facing a sudden surge in patients and a shortage of specialized equipment.
Cédric Lucier, director of the Paris Saclay Hospital in Orsay, acknowledged that the situation was extremely stressful for all staff.
“This week has been terrible for the entire hospital system—not just for nurses and doctors, but for all hospital staff, who were on call around the clock, seven days a week, because we had to find new solutions on very short notice. We thought we were prepared, but in reality, we weren’t,” said the hospital director.
Based on this experience, hospital administrations have begun a large-scale effort to adapt their facilities to extreme temperature conditions.
In particular, facilities are installing new air-conditioning systems and revising the logistics of medication storage by moving them to specialized low-temperature areas.
“First of all, of course, we need to adapt the buildings. That’s why we started by installing air conditioners. We’ve also changed how we store some of our medications, moving them to low-temperature rooms. We’ve also reorganized a number of wards that are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. For example, starting today, we’re moving the geriatric ward to this new hospital,” added Cédric Lucier.
During peak periods, medical staff were forced to resort to unconventional measures to save patients with severe hyperthermia.
Émiline Joly, the hospital’s deputy director, noted that they began using shower stretchers and tubs filled with ice to cool patients.
“We used them during the heat wave. The same applies to the tubs we provided to the SMUR (Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Service). We fill them with ice and place patients with hyperthermia in them,” she explained.
This was reported by Euronews.
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