French Minister of Health, Frédéric Valletoux, stated that the French government’s urgent purchase of 30,000 air conditioners for hospitals is expected to arrive in the coming days, in order to respond to the next wave of extreme heat.
She told BFM Business TV that not all hospital wards in France are equipped with cooling or air conditioning systems. Since the record-breaking heatwave of 2003, some hospitals have been rebuilt or renovated, but there are still hospitals that have not completed upgrades.
France experienced its highest temperatures in nearly 80 years last week. According to data from Météo-France, the country’s 24-hour average temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius on the 24th. Preliminary data released by the French Public Health Agency on the 28th showed a significant increase in mortality during this round of high temperatures, with over 1,000 excess deaths recorded in just three days from June 24th to 26th.
Due to climate history, building conditions, public policy, environmental awareness and other factors, air conditioning is not widespread in France. Data from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency shows that the rate of air conditioning installation among French households is between 18% and 26%.