Practicalities of health care for those who have fled Ukraine

Adults and children are invited to a health check-up that costs nothing. With the invitation you will receive a bus ticket. You will be invited to the health check-up as soon as possible after your arrival in Sweden.

At the health check-up, you will see a nurse who will examine your health, take samples to see if you have any contagious diseases and give you information about how health care works in Sweden. This is to ensure that you will receive the care and treatment you need.

Ukrainian children and young people will receive health and dental care on the same terms as any other children and young people who are resident in Västmanland County.

Health care is free of charge for children and young people under 20 years of age. Dental care is free of charge for children and young people until 31 December in the year of their 23rd birthday.

Clinics for children aged up to 6 years

The local health centre (vårdcentral in Swedish) includes a special clinic for children aged up to 6 years. This is called a child-health centre (BVC in Swedish). It offers vaccination for healthy children aged 0-6 years. You may contact your BVC if you have questions about your child's health or about parenting. All families with children in Sweden are offered this form of preventive health care, which is free of charge and voluntary. Once children start school, the school health service takes over responsibility for monitoring their health. If your child is ill, you should contact the local health centre.

As an adult, you will pay a subsidised price for any health care and dental care that your doctor or dentist thinks cannot wait. You will also receive maternity care free of charge.

You may also contact health care for other matters, but then you will pay the same price as any other resident of Västmanland County.

Clinics for women

The local health centre includes a midwifery clinic where women aged 15-70 years may receive help with pregnancy monitoring, birth control, parenting support, abortion counselling, treatment of infectious diseases and cervical smear tests.

Contact your nearest local health centre (vårdcentral) if you are ill or have health problems. Local health centres see both adults and children.

A local health centre has staff belonging to a variety of categories: doctors, nurses, midwives, child nurses, social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists and others.

Visit your local health centre for help with:

• acute illnesses, injuries and complaints
• chronic illnesses such as diabetes
• help to dress wounds
• prescriptions
• mental ill-health
• pregnancy checks
• vaccination

Making an appointment at a local health centre

There are many local health centres in Västmanland County. You choose yourself which one to attend. They are open on weekdays in the daytime. You must always make an appointment before your visit.

Local health centres in Västmanland County.

When making an appointment, you may need the number of your UT card

Photo of a residence card (UT card), with the number highlighted:

When visiting health care or dental care, you need to bring the following:

• A document to corroborate your identity: an identity card, an identity document issued by the Tax Agency (Skatteverket), a residence card (UT card), an asylum-seeker's card (LMA card), the acknowledgement of receipt for your asylum application, or a passport.
• This form, where you should fill in your information. This applies only the first time you visit health care and dental care.

If you have applied for asylum, you should contact the Närvården Råby local health centre and asylum-seekers' health clinic

The Närvården Råby local health centre and asylum-seekers' health clinic is a local health centre serving registered patients as well as asylum-seekers, people in hiding and people without a residence permit. It accepts patients from all of Västmanland County.

• Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00-16:30
• Telephone number: 021-17 60 00.
  Telephone hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00. 

As an asylum-seeker, you will need to show:

• Your asylum-seeker's card (LMA card) or the acknowledgement of receipt for your asylum application, if you have it.

When you call 1177, you get to speak to a nurse. The nurse can answer your questions, give you advice, assess if you need care and refer you to others. You may call 1177 at any time of the day or night. The staff speak English and Swedish.

• Telephone number: 1177

You can search for health information yourself. On the 1177.se website you will find information about illnessses, complaints, examinations and treatments. Most of the information is in Swedish, but you will also find information in other languages.

• Visit 1177.se

If you are suddenly struck by a serious illness or if you are severely injured in an accident, you should go to the emergency ward at Västmanland Hospital. It is open all days round the clock.

• Telephone number for emergencies: 112

You should only use the 112 emergency number in acute emergencies where there is a risk that someone will die.

Dental care for children and young people

Until and including 31 December in the year of your 23rd birthday, you are entitled to free dental care. The Dental Health Service will invite you to dental check-ups in the town where you live.

Dental care for those older than 23 years

Starting in the year of your 24th birthday, you have to pay for non-emergency dental care yourself. Emergency dental care is on offer for those who need help with oral infections, toothache and major tooth damage. The fee for an emergency visit to a dentist is SEK 50.

Making an appointment for dental care with the Dental Health Service

To receive dental care, you first have to make an appointment. You choose yourself which clinic to attend.

Clinics of the Dental Health Service (Folktandvården) in Västmanland County, by municipality.

Private clinics of dental care

Sala:

• Sala Tandläkarcenter
  Drottninggatan 11A
  73330 Sala
  0224-106 00

Västerås:

• Tandläkare Ruaa Al-Ghabban
  Stora Gatan 18
  722 12 Västerås
  073-630 31 89
• Fredrik Haddad
  Smedjegatan 8
  722 13 Västerås
  021-13 45 45

The Covid-19 vaccines used in Sweden are tested and safe

All vaccines have been carefully tested. They all protect against severe illness and death due to Covid-19. You will receive either Pfizer's "Comirnaty" vaccine or Moderna's "Spikevax" vaccine. Those below 31 years old are only given the Pfizer vaccine.

If you have been vaccinated with a vaccine that is not used in Sweden

Those who have received a vaccine that is not used in Sweden can be given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for additional doses. When you come to be vaccinated, you will be told how many doses you need for a good level of protection. This depends on what vaccine you have received previously.

How vaccination works

All those who have turned 12 years old need at least two doses of vaccine to obtain a good level of protection. The interval between doses should be 4-7 weeks.

Those who have turned 18 years old should receive a booster dose (third dose) three months after the second dose. This is to ensure stronger protection for longer.

Some people need a second booster dose (fourth dose). You can read more about the intervals between doses at 1177.se/vastmanland.

When you come to be vaccinated, you fill in a health declaration. For children aged 12-15 years, legal guardians' consent to vaccination is required.

Making an appointment for vaccination

To make an appointment, you need to state the eight-digit number of your residence card (UT card). Make the appointment by calling 021-481 87 00 on Monday-Friday at 08:00-16:30.

To make your appointment in the Ukraininan language, select option 7 using your telephone. This allows you to record a message with your name and telephone number. Then we will call you on a Tuesday or Thursday between 10:00 and 12:00.

Drop-in vaccination

Some vaccination clinics offer drop-in vaccination, meaning that you may come without having made an appointment.

If you do not have a residence card (UT card), you may come for drop-in vaccination and have a "reserve number" (temporary personal identification number for health-care purposes) registered during your visit.

Information about times and locations.

For more information about Covid-19

Read more here or call the Public Health Agency's multilingual information service at 08-123 680 00 on weekdays at 9:00-15:00.

Reactions commonly seen after a traumatic event include difficulties sleeping, stomach pain, headache and tension. To feel better, you could talk to others about how you feel and take exercise, sleep and eat regularly.

If you, or a member of your family, have problems dealing with feelings or do not feel better after 2-4 weeks, you should contact your local health centre (vårdcentral).

In the case of acute psychiatric complaints

If you, or your child, are feeling mentally very unwell and need immediate help, you should contact the psychiatric emergency ward of Västmanland Hospital: entrance 29 for adults and entrance 24 for children.

• Psychiatric emergency ward for children and adolescents, telephone number: 021-17 57 46. 
  Open round the clock.
• Psychiatric emergency ward for adults, telephone number: 021-17 37 15.
  Open round the clock.
  
  

If you are pregnant, you should contact the midwifery clinic at your local health centre (vårdcentral). Then you will receive maternity and obstetric care just like any other patient in Västmanland County. You will be invited to regular check-ups by a midwife and will see a doctor if necessary. You will also receive information ahead of childbirth, care during childbirth and check-ups of yourself and your child after childbirth. In addition, you can receive advice on birth control. This care is free of charge.

Abortion

Under Swedish law, a woman decides herself if she is going to have an abortion or not. To receive advice about abortion, you need to make an appointment with the gynaecological clinic. Such advice is free of charge.

• Telephone number to make an appointment: 021-17 38 00
• Telephone number to cancel an appointment: 021-17 38 03

If you have a disability and need assistive devices, you should contact your local health centre (vårdcentral) for assessment. Most devices can be borrowed free of charge.

If you do not understand the Swedish language, you are entitled to assistance by a language interpreter when you visit health care or dental care. This assistance is free. You or your representative must mention before your visit that you will need an interpreter. The interpreter may be physically present or assist over the telephone.

Health-care staff and interpreters are subject to professional secrecy. This means that they are not allowed to disclose information about you to other persons or government agencies unless you allow them to.

Health-care and dental-care visits

Children and young people receive health care free of charge until their 20th birthday. Those who are 20 years old or older and have a residence permit pay the regular price for all care. Those who are 20 years old or older and lack a residence permit pay the regular price for any care that can wait.

Price list for care that cannot wait:

• SEK 25 for a visit to a district nurse or social worker.
• SEK 50 for a visit to a doctor.
• SEK 50 for a visit to the hospital emergency ward, if you have first been to your local health centre (vårdcentral) and received a referral notice. Without a referral notice, a visit to the emergency ward costs SEK 320.
• SEK 50 for an emergency visit to the dental-care services starting in the year in which you turn 24 years old. 
• If you do not show up for an appointment, you will pay the care fee plus an invoicing fee. Be sure to cancel your appointment beforehand if you cannot come.

Medication

If you are prescribed medication, you can collect it at any pharmacy. If you have been given a prescription for medication and show your residence card (UT card) when you collect it, you will pay no more than SEK 50. For non-prescription drugs you pay the regular price.

Right to a refund

If you pay more than SEK 400 within a six-month period, you can apply to the Migration Agency for a special allowance. Then the amount of your costs exceeding SEK 400 will be refunded to you. Save all of your dental-care and health-care receipts, including for purchases of prescription drugs and health-related travel.

Health-related travel

Some of the cost of travelling to and from health care or dental care can be refunded. If you travel by bus or train, you will receive a full refund. If you use your own car, some of your expenses may be refunded. If you take a taxi, no refund is given.

Health-related taxi journeys

If, for health reasons, it is difficult for you to come to an appointment with the care services, you may be entitled to a health-related taxi journey. Such taxi journeys are ordered over the telephone:

• Call 020-21 21 21 not later than on the last weekday before your appointment to order a health-related taxi journey. You will find out during the conversation if you are entitled to health-related taxi journeys.

Cost of a health-related taxi journey:

• SEK 40 if you lack a residence permit.
• SEK 100 if you have obtained a residence permit.

How to obtain a refund for health-related travel by bus or train or using your own car

Only amounts larger than SEK 50 can be refunded. You may add up several receipts to reach that level. For travel using your own car, a refund can be given only for the part of your (one-way) journey that exceeds 40 km.

Fill in the form "Application for a refund for health-related travel" (Ansökan om sjukreseersättning). You can also find it at the receptions at Västmanland Hospital and at your local health centre. 

• Send the form along with your ticket and the original of the receipt for your visit to: Kollektivtrafikförvaltningen Att: Sjukresor, Ängsgärdsgatan 12, 721 30 Västerås

If you have questions about refunds for health-related travel

Call 021-17 53 30 on weekdays or send an e-mail to the Public Transport Administration at kollektivtrafikmyndigheten@regionvastmanland.se, with "Sjukresor" [health-related travel] in the subject line.

If you have any questions or thoughts about other bus and train services, you may contact the customer service of VL at 0771-22 40 00 or visit vl.se. 

• 021-17 30 00, select 1
• kontaktcenter@regionvastmanland.se