Medical Device Failure During Power Outage: Backup Solutions Needed
Most people might think of not being able to cook on a stove, having no running water, or not being able to charge your phone when there’s a prolonged power outage. But for people who really depend on electricity to survive, it’s a much bigger problem.
Increasing unrest
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Teh Association for Collaboration in Chronic Respiratory Support (VSCA) is noticing increasing unrest among patients, adn the VSCA itself is also concerned.
The VSCA is an association within which parties involved in (home) ventilation and living with respiratory support - such as home ventilation centers and patient organizations – collaborate. The VSCA and the organizations under it receive many questions from concerned patients and their loved ones.
Berlin, Portugal and Spain
The unrest is further fueled by recent major blackouts abroad, such as recently in Berlin, were part of the city was without power for almost a week, and last year in Portugal and Spain, which were almost entirely without electricity for a day.The government’s advice to be self-sufficient for 72 hours in case of an emergency also increases concerns.
According to figures from the VSCA, 4,563 people in the Netherlands depend on chronic ventilation. 82 percent of them, 3,757 patients, are ventilated at home with the support of the Cen
From pillar to post
The Lung Fund fully shares the concerns of the VSCA about electricity-dependent patients. “For a vulnerable group of people, availability of electricity is vital for life”, according to the organization.They note that people generally want to arrange things themselves, but are often sent from pillar to post.The Lung Fund also believes that the unrest is only increasing due to the call to be self-sufficient for 72 hours.
The organization believes that health should be part of national resilience. “If the government calls on people to be self-sufficient for 72 hours, there should be extra attention for people for whom that general advice is insufficient.” According to the Lung Fund, there is an urgent need for clear guidelines and appropriate emergency power solutions for people who are dependent on electricity at home.
house full of equipment
Like Nicole Tromp. She has a progressive muscle disease and is dependent on equipment 24 hours a day to live. her house is full of equipment and therefore looks a bit like a small hospital.
Saving herself for 72 hours when there is no electricity would be completely unfeasible for Nicole,she says. “As soon as the power goes out, not only the ventilation stops, but also the lift, feeding pump and electric doors. If the door openers fail, I am literally locked in.”
Unnecessary victims
According to the VSCA, the call for self-sufficiency is hazardous for people who are dependent on electricity. ”We are creating unnecessary victims if we do not take these people into account.” The organization is calling on the government to come up with a plan for electricity-dependent patients.
Promised plan
Member of Parliament Lisa Westerveld of GroenLinks-PvdA finds the ministry’s response far too non-committal. She already asked questions about this to responsible State Secretary Nicki Pouw-verweij in May 2025. The response promised that a plan would be forthcoming.
“But when I read the ministry’s answers to your questions, it gives me the impression that absolutely nothing has happened since then.” According to Westerveld, there is ‘absolutely nothing arranged’ for people who depend on electricity at this time, neither in national policy nor with the safety regions.
‘UN Treaty is Being Violated’
Westerveld points out that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is being violated, as this obligates the government to have rules for people with disabilities in emergency situations.
“This is about life and death,” she says. “I will soon ask for concrete plans again in the House of Representatives and demand clarity on what is actually being arranged.”