Sweden identifies priority regions for wartime healthcare preparedness

Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), working with the Armed Forces and the Swedish Defence Research Agency among others, has analysed potential wartime healthcare requirements under a government mandate. The analysis identifies northern Sweden, Gotland and the east coast as particularly important for preparedness planning, with the aim of treating substantially more trauma casualties while maintaining care for the population.

Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Västernorrland and Jämtland Härjedalen will lead the initial joint planning, coordinated by Norrbotten. Long distances, demanding weather and difficult patient transport mean existing hospitals and healthcare units will need to collaborate. Planning covers staffing, premises, equipment, governance and coordination with military casualty transport arrangements.

Discussions are also underway with Gotland, where healthcare must remain operational if mainland transport is restricted. East-coast planning will include capacity to receive casualties from the Baltic states; participating regions have yet to be determined.

The initiative does not involve constructing new hospitals or immediately designating individual facilities as preparedness hospitals. Operational requirements and resources must first be defined. The announcement provides no numerical casualty projections or capacity targets. Regional experience will inform a proposed national preparedness-hospital model, due to be submitted to the government by 31 March 2027.