Lauterbach proposes thermal shielding strategies for medical clinics and care centers.
For guarding patients from excessive heat, the Federal Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, has presented heat protection plans for hospitals and nursing homes. "The change in climate will make heat protection a recurring issue," explained Lauterbach during the second heat protection gathering in Berlin. Germany needs to be methodically prepared to face this challenge. Or else, several citizens will die unnecessarily every summer.
"Hence, we need to adjust to climate change and fight it simultaneously," underlined the Minister. Extreme temperatures have already become more frequent and hotter compared to ten years ago - "yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg." Lauterbach cautioned that high temperatures have specific health effects on the elderly, people with medical conditions, and individuals who reside outdoors.
The initiatives for action and information packages recently established for hospitals, nursing homes, local governments, and the European Football Championship can aid them, he mentioned. To be more specific, the website hitzeservice.de encompasses lines of communication on how vulnerable groups, including the elderly or homeless, can be informed about heat protection.
Moreover, comprehensive national suggestions for heat protection in hospitals and nursing homes have been approved. The recommendations involve designating a heat protection administrator and the formation of a heat protection plan. It also suggests providing detailed information to patients, specifically during summer months, and preserving sensitive medicines and materials adequately.
Specialists from different areas of the healthcare field participated in the heat protection conference.
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- Lauterbach suggested that more medical clinics and care centers in Germany should implement heat protection plans, especially those in Lauterbach's proposed thermal shielding strategies.
- The care facilities participating in Lauterbach's heat protection conference were encouraged to establish caretakers responsible for implementing heat protection plans and creating detailed heat protection plans.
- To ensure the safety of patients and residents, Lauterbach advocated for more clinics and care centers to provide appropriate heat protection facilities, such as air conditioning, during the summer months and to store sensitive medicines and materials appropriately to avoid damage from high temperatures.
Source: www.ntv.de
