Västerbotten County Council (VLL)

VLL provides health care to a large part of northern Sweden. Umeå holds a highly specialized University hospital (NUS) with 850 beds receiving patients from all parts of the northern half of the country. NUS has a high profile when comes to infectious medicine, epidemiology, acute and disaster medicine, particularly disasters in a cold climate. The Swedish Centre for Acute and Disaster Medicine (AKMC) funded by the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare is located at NUS. The Centre pursues research on major accidents in the transportation system; currently, major railway accidents are at issue. The centre has, however, been involved in studies in primary care following chemical disasters and provides courses and training to front-line medical personnel on this subject.