Government Allows Exemption For 100% Of Medical Workers In State, Communal Institutions

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Ukraine's government has allowed 100% of medical workers in state and communal medical institutions to be exempt from military service.

A corresponding resolution by the Cabinet of Ministers, issued on January 14 and amending the procedure for the conscription of reservists during mobilization and wartime, was published on the Government Porta , as reported by Ukrinform.

In particular, Section 5 of the procedure now allows exemption from military service for "medical workers at healthcare facilities of state and communal ownership, public health institutions, establishments involved in forensic and psychiatric expertise, blood centers, for whom working in these institutions is the primary job."

The Ministry of Health notes that these changes only apply to medical workers. Restrictions on the exemption for other specialists working in medical institutions remain in place.

The Ministry added that the review of the procedure was prompted by a decree by the President of Ukraine, following the National Security and Defense Council's decision on December 5, 2024, concerning "counteracting national security threats in the healthcare sector during exceptional periods." The main goal of these measures is to ensure quality and timely medical and rehabilitation assistance to both military personnel and civilians. The decision also mentions the necessity of reviewing the conditions for exempting medical workers, as well as a ban on assigning people with medical education to non-medical military service positions, unless they voluntarily choose such roles.

Previously, medical institutions recognized as critical could only exempt up to 50% of military-aged men, with the possibility of increasing this percentage only with special approval from the Ministry of Defense.

A significant portion of the reservists in medical institutions are female medical workers. Their numbers were previously considered when determining the share of reservists who could be exempted. Now, the percentage of exemption is calculated solely based on the number of military-aged men. Therefore, in order to maintain proper functioning, hospitals had to regularly request additional permits to exempt more than 50% of military-aged men, the Ministry explained.

"The decision to exempt 100% of medical workers eliminates the need for separate permits, reducing the burden on both hospitals and the Ministry of Defense. This allows hospitals to save time and effort previously spent on obtaining special permits, and the Ministry is relieved from processing numerous individual requests. Currently, around 75% of wounded soldiers receive treatment in civilian medical institutions. Therefore, this decision will help ensure medical assistance for both military personnel and civilians in the necessary amount," the Ministry of Health emphasized.

At the same time, the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the defense sector for medical personnel who can be mobilized from civilian medical institutions will be met through the mechanism of "un-exemption" for specific medical workers currently in demand.

"Un-exemption" will be carried out at the request of the Ministry of Defense and the Medical Forces Command, based on the need for certain medical specialists. Submissions for un-exemption will be made by medical institution leaders via the "Diia" portal, according to the procedure for reservists during mobilization and wartime. After un-exemption, specialists will be mobilized to the Armed Forces or other military formations, depending on their needs, and assigned to medical positions in the military service.

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