Zelenskyy dissolves medical disability commissions
Medical-social expert commissions (MSECs), responsible for reviewing and approving disability applications, will be dissolved by Dec. 31, according to decree by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Oct. 22.
The decree was issued following a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), convened to discuss apparent rampant corruption across the MSECs.
MSECs are panels of experts that are responsible for reviewing disability applications from people who wish to apply for social benefits on account of their health. In wartime, disability also exempts one from military service, thereby attracting draft dodgers to try and bribe their way into getting a disability certificate.
According to the decree, within a month, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the National Police, and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) must report on measures taken to identify violations in the process of disability classification for state officials. Following these audits, the respective agencies are to make the necessary personnel changes.
The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to review all existing MSEC rulings that granted disability status to state officials and digitize the entire application and review process to stem future corruption. Law enforcement will also examine the incomes of MSEC members to identify those who accepted bribes in exchange for favorable rulings.
The Ukrainian parliament is advised to work with the Health Ministry to draft a bill to reform MSECs within a month. This step includes, in particular, the dissolution of the medical and social expert commissions from Dec. 31, 2024.
The document also suggests amendments to Ukraine’s Criminal Code to hold the heads and members of MSECs accountable for illicit enrichment.
The decree takes effect upon publication on Oct. 22.
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