The Armed Forces of Ukraine are stepping up oversight of the work of military medical commissions at territorial recruitment and social support centres. The aim is to prevent the mobilisation of citizens who are unfit for military service due to health reasons. This was announced by a spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Main Communications Directorate. The focus is on ensuring that conscripts undergo proper medical assessment and that errors are avoided when determining their fitness for service.
- The Armed Forces of Ukraine have announced that they are stepping up oversight of the work of the military medical commissions attached to the Territorial Recruitment Centres.
- The aim is to prevent the mobilisation of citizens who are unfit for military service on health grounds.
- Decisions made by the Medical Examination Board are subject to review and may be reconsidered by higher-level committees.
- Those liable for military service may appeal against the Medical Examination Board’s decision in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
How decisions made by military medical boards are monitored
Military medical boards determine citizens’ fitness for service on the basis of medical examinations, test results and the medical documentation provided.
Monitoring of activities VLC as provided for by current legislation. The Central Military Medical Commission and its regional branches are authorised to monitor the work of lower-level commissions and to consider appeals against their decisions.
At the same time, the Office of the Military Ombudsman had previously drawn attention to cases where medical documents confirming the illnesses or treatment of conscripts were not taken into account during medical examinations.
Among the problems is doctors’ lack of access to the medical data required to objectively determine a person’s fitness for service.
Can a person with a medical condition be called up?
The mere fact of having a medical condition does not in itself necessarily mean that a person is unfit for military service.
Depending on the diagnosis, the severity of the condition and any functional impairments, the Medical Commission may declare a person fit for service, fit for service in specific units, or unfit for service.
In particular, citizens with certain health-related limitations may be fit for service in military support units, logistics and communications units, medical facilities or military training centres.
At the same time, a finding of total unfitness for military service constitutes grounds for removing a person liable for military service from the military register, following the due processing and approval of the decision.
What to do if the Medical Assessment Board has not taken your state of health into account
Those liable for military service have the right to appeal against the medical board’s decision if they consider it to be unfounded.
To do this, you can apply to a higher-level medical commission – specifically, a regional or Central Military Medical Commission – by submitting an application and your medical records.
Following the consideration of the complaint, the decision may be reviewed or a further medical examination may be arranged.
Provision is also made for a judicial appeal procedure. In this context, the court reviews the legality of the decision-making process, rather than itself determining the medical diagnosis or the degree of fitness for service.
