Diseases Affected by Cold: Arctic and Subarctic Areas

Abstract

The Arctic and Subarctic areas are sparsely populated, most people living at or near the coast. Even with a reasonable number of physicians, this makes coverage of medical care extremely difficult. It might even take days with small boats or on dog sleds to reach the clinic or the local hospital. In many areas, physicians periodically visit small villages to observe the medical conditions. Such visits are very time-consuming and a special challenge for the physicians working in these areas.1–4 Consequently, the patients attending the clinics are often delayed and suffering from severe and extensive diseases. The development of radio and telecommunication and the use of helicopters have greatly alleviated the problems.