Hospitals across the Paris region will receive around 1,000 air conditioners by the end of this week as France prepares for another spell of extreme heat, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.
The deliveries form part of a nationwide government plan to supply 30,000 air conditioners to hospitals. Officials hope the programme will strengthen healthcare facilities after the country’s record breaking June heatwave placed hospitals under intense pressure.
Many hospitals in the Paris region have already started buying extra cooling units while waiting for the government’s deliveries.
“I think it’s very important and really necessary to get through a second heatwave, especially if it comes in a short period of time,” Emmanuel Raffoux, head of the haematology department at Saint Louis Hospital, told BFMTV.
“Our bodies have suffered and are trying to recover. For the patients here, many will likely experience a second heatwave during the same hospital stay,” he added.
The latest preparations come only days after France endured an intense heatwave that pushed temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius across much of the country. Several regions also recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, forcing authorities to issue widespread heat alerts.
Hospitals expand cooling capacity before another hot spell
The recent heatwave exposed major weaknesses in hospital infrastructure.
Temperatures inside some hospital rooms climbed to 32 degrees Celsius during last week’s extreme weather. Doctors struggled to keep patients comfortable, particularly older people and those receiving long term treatment.
The Paris Public Hospital Network, known as AP HP, said it deployed or purchased 800 air conditioners between late summer 2025 and mid 2026.
The network also bought another 1,000 units in less than one week as temperatures surged.
Hospital officials said they expect the government to reimburse those emergency purchases through the national procurement programme.
Some hospitals have also introduced other measures. Staff have reorganised wards, moved vulnerable patients into cooler areas and increased supplies of ice, fans and hydration equipment after emergency departments saw a sharp rise in heat related illnesses.
France prepares for hotter summers as climate risks grow
French weather forecasters expect another period of intense heat next week, prompting hospitals to accelerate preparations.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu recently announced a €100 million investment package to improve cooling systems and strengthen hospitals against future heatwaves. He described reducing pressure on hospitals during extreme heat as an “absolute priority.”
The World Health Organization has warned that Europe’s recent heatwave should serve as “a dress rehearsal” for hotter summers ahead.
The agency said Europe is warming more than twice as fast as the global average. It also warned that heatwaves have become a recurring public health threat rather than isolated weather events.
French health officials believe the new cooling equipment will improve patient care during future heatwaves. They also acknowledge that hospitals must continue adapting as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme summer temperatures.
