Air Conditioning in the Medical Community is a Necessity

Many of us consider air conditioning to be a luxury but in the medical community it’s an absolute necessity. Nowhere was that proven more than in a recent A/C outing at a Florida hospital. An article in local Fox WFLX, Air Conditioning Outage Cancels Surgeries at Indian River Medical Center, proves that point well.

It happened at the Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida, and it all started with a break in the water line, which led to the air not cooling. The medical center had to cancel all surgeries, and eventually all medical procedures, for two days.

Many people wondered why, and assumed that the heat was more an inconvenience than anything. Not so fast – it turns out that hot temps can actually affect medical equipment. As a result, not only where surgeries canceled and medical procedures were diverted to other hospitals in the area, most notable West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, and Sebastian.

The hospital continued to accept people walking into the ER, but if they needed to be admitted they were also sent elsewhere. The hospital responded by increasing their staff presence at local urgent care clinics throughout both Vero Beach and Sebastian. They encouraged anyone who had a medical issue – but not an emergency – to visit these urgent care clinics instead of heading to the emergency room.

As the article states, “According to hospital staff, they're being kept cool with portable chillers and more than 100 portable fans. Patients are also being given lots of water and bags of ice.” The hospital also took steps to notify all patients who had surgeries scheduled on the days they were closed.

This puts into perspective. How important is air conditioning? Sure, most of us don’t do surgery in our homes or offices, but the reality is that having a working, ductless air conditioner can reduce the chances of serious dehydration, heat stroke, and many other issues. AC-World is proud to provide a wide range of air conditioning options for people with all budgets and all needs.