France hospital air‑conditioner rollout hampered by delays and price dispute

The French government announced an emergency €100 million programme to supply 30,000 mobile air‑conditioners to hospitals amid heat‑wave concerns. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled the plan in late June, with a target of delivering 10,000 units within a week. By mid‑July only 16,500 units had arrived, and the remaining batch is slated for delivery by the end of the month, leaving many facilities still awaiting equipment.

Hospitals must place orders themselves through suppliers or central purchasing bodies and later claim reimbursement, meaning the state did not execute a single national purchase. The units, rated at 9,100 BTU, are suitable for rooms of about 20 m² and have been criticised as undersized for many hospital spaces.

Social‑media rumours claimed the state paid €1,900 per unit – roughly three times the market price. Fact‑checks by TF1info’s Les Vérificateurs found the calculation flawed; actual purchase prices recorded around €700 per unit and hospitals order independently, not directly through the Ministry of Health. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist had outlined phased deliveries of 7,500, then 15,000, and finally up to 30,000 units by early August.