---
title: "Ten recommendations from Kyiv medics: how to survive prolonged blackouts without compromising health"
description: "The KCSA Health Department has published ten basic recommendations for maintaining health during multi-day blackouts: from medicine and water supplies to the prevention of hypothermia and sleep disorders."
date: 2026-11-15T06:18:25.822Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/medics-tips-for-prolonged-power-outages
tags: [ukraine, blackout, health-tips, power-outage, winter-preparation, kyiv, chronic-disease]
author: "Inna Kinsheva"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ten recommendations from Kyiv medics: how to survive prolonged blackouts without compromising health

![Woman with a flashlight checking a first aid kit in a dark apartment during a power outage](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/15/mediki-sovety-na-sluchai-dlitelnyh-otklyuchenij-sveta/mediki-sovety-na-sluchai-dlitelnyh-otklyuchenij-sveta-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The KCSA Health Department published 10 recommendations for surviving long-term power, water, and heating outages
- People with chronic illnesses, children, and the elderly are at-risk groups; they need a pre-prepared supply of medicine
- Main winter threats during a blackout are hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning from generators
- Sleep disruption and decreased physical activity are hidden consequences of multi-day outages requiring attention

Prolonged power, water, and heating outages, which have become a regular occurrence in Ukraine against the backdrop of the ongoing war, affect not only domestic comfort but also the physical and psychological health of citizens. In November 2026, specialists from the Health Department of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) reminded the public of this by publishing a summary of ten basic recommendations on their official Facebook page. According to them, advance preparation, adherence to simple safety rules, and mindfulness toward one's own well-being allow for surviving multi-day blackouts with minimal health risks. Similar appeals for proactive preparation are voiced in other regions: in Odesa, for example, local authorities and healthcare workers recommend maintaining a supply of drinking water at a rate of 3–4 liters per person per day, as well as non-perishable food and charged power sources.

### Who is at risk and why preparation must be individual

The KCSA Health Department separately highlighted categories of the population for whom multi-day absences of light, water, or heating pose an increased threat. These include people with chronic diseases—diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular pathologies, bronchial asthma—as well as young children and elderly citizens. It is these groups, in the opinion of medics, that require special attention: they need to be provided with necessary conditions and support from loved ones in advance. Specialists emphasize that the lack of electricity directly affects the operation of pumping equipment and water supply, meaning that even a healthy person can face a shortage of drinking water, and vulnerable categories can face dehydration, which they are not always able to identify and verbalize in time.

### Medicine, water, and food: the three pillars of a home supply

The first and, according to Kyiv doctors, key piece of advice is to form a supply of necessary medications before the next blackout occurs. This is especially critical for patients with chronic conditions who require insulin, antihypertensive drugs, inhalers, and other supplies, the storage of which often requires a cool environment. The second pillar is water. Power outages paralyze pumping stations, so there must always be a supply of drinking water in the house. The third is food that does not require special storage conditions: canned goods, grains, dried fruits. Medics remind that food in a non-working refrigerator quickly becomes unsafe, and one cannot rely on it during a multi-day blackout. In Odesa, these same recommendations are supplemented with advice to download offline maps to a phone and save important contacts in advance so as not to be left without orientation in case of a communication breakdown.

### Hypothermia and carbon monoxide: two major winter threats

Prolonged absence of heating in the cold season, as warned by the KCSA Health Department, can lead to hypothermia, especially in children, older people, and patients with chronic diseases. If severe hypothermia is suspected, specialists strongly recommend calling emergency medical services. A separate block of warnings is devoted to the improper use of alternative power and heating sources—generators, stoves, heaters. "Carbon monoxide has no color or smell, so a person may not notice its accumulation in a room," the medics state. This makes ventilation and control of generator operation not just a household convenience, but a matter of life safety. The SES, in its recommendations for the winter of 2026, also emphasizes that fuel for generators should be stored away from living quarters, and the generator itself should only be operated outdoors or in a well-ventilated garage.

### Sleep, anxiety, and physical activity: what is not seen but breaks health

A less obvious but no less important consequence of blackouts is sleep disturbance. Changing the usual daily routine, the noise of a working generator, the cold in the apartment, and the constant consumption of alarming news lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which exacerbates fatigue, irritability, and lowers concentration. If sleep problems last for a long time, affect daily life, and are accompanied by constant fatigue or anxiety, experts advise consulting a family doctor. In parallel, medics point to the risk of reduced physical activity: prolonged staying in a cold room without the possibility of engaging in usual activities worsens general well-being, the function of the cardiovascular system, and muscle tone. At the same time, one can maintain physical activity even without electricity—simple exercises, walking, stretching are sufficient. People with chronic diseases should coordinate the level of physical load with a doctor, and intense workouts are contraindicated in case of an acute condition, high fever, or sudden deterioration of well-being.

### Control of chronic diseases: the main rule is not to lose contact with a doctor

Concluding the summary, the KCSA Health Department emphasizes: in the presence of chronic diseases, it is critically important not to lose control over their progression even in conditions of multi-day communication outages. This means not missing appointments, replenishing the supply of medicine in time, recording blood pressure, blood sugar, and body temperature indicators, and seeking medical help if they worsen. In conditions where some medical institutions operate in a limited mode, pre-saved contacts of a family doctor and emergency services become no less important than a supply of water and food. As Kyiv medics summarize, a combination of advance preparation, simple safety rules, and mindfulness towards oneself and loved ones allows for significantly reducing the risks posed by prolonged power, water, and heating outages.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Как подготовиться к длительным отключениям света, воды и отопления в Украине: советы медиков](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/k-pidgotuvatis-trivalih-vidklyuchen-svitla-1794240244.html) - Original source: publication by the press service of the KCSA Health Department on Facebook. Contains the full list of 10 recommendations.
- [Одесситам напомнили, как подготовиться к длительным отключениям света](https://www.048.ua/ru/news/4176468/odessitam-napomnili-kak-podgotovitsa-k-dlitelnym-otkluceniam-sveta) - Confirms the nationwide nature of the recommendations: 3–4 liters of water/person/day, long-term storage food, charged power sources.
- [Генератор и солнечные панели — не единственный вариант: как подготовить дом к длительным ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/ekonomika-glavnaya/communalka/generator-i-solnechnyie-paneli-ne-edinstvennyij-variant-kak-podgotovit-dom-k-dlitelnyim-otklyucheniyam-elektrichestva-zimoj.htm) - Подтверждено по источнику obozrevatel.com
- [Что положить в "набор для блэкаута" и какими продуктами запастись: рекомендации Минвосстановления](https://focus.ua/economics/772948-podgotovka-k-otklyucheniyam-elektroenergii-kak-sohranit-teplo-v-kvartire-sovety) - Ministry of Restoration recommendations align with the advice of Kyiv medics regarding water, food, and heat supplies.

## FAQ

### Who is primarily at risk during prolonged outages?

According to the KCSA Health Department, at-risk groups include people with chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular pathologies, bronchial asthma), young children, and elderly citizens. They require a pre-prepared supply of medicine and increased attention from loved ones.

### What to do if severe hypothermia is suspected during a blackout?

KCSA Health Department specialists strongly recommend calling emergency medical services if severe hypothermia is suspected.

### Why are generators dangerous during power outages?

Carbon monoxide, which can be released during improper generator operation, has no color or smell. A person may not notice its accumulation in a room. Therefore, generators should only be used outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms.

### What if sleep is disturbed and constant anxiety appears due to a blackout?

If sleep problems last for a long time, affect daily life, and are accompanied by constant fatigue or anxiety, KCSA Health Department experts advise consulting a family doctor.