The Ministry of Defense has introduced a new schedule of diseases to determine fitness for military service

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has introduced a new schedule of illnesses for determining fitness for military service and amended the procedures for limitedly fit servicemen.

According to Defense Ministry Order 490 of August 18, which entered into force on August 25, the updated standards take into account the detail of the procedures for assigning service for those who are limitedly fit, and clarify the procedure for the military medical commission to make decisions on the causal relationship between illness, injury and military service. Technical changes and updated terminology were also introduced.

According to this order, limitedly fit servicemen who serve during the war and have certain diseases will no longer be transferred to the category of fit for service, as it was before. This applies to persons with clinically cured tuberculosis, viral hepatitis with minor dysfunction, asymptomatic carriage of human immunodeficiency virus, slowly progressive and non-progressive diseases of the blood and hematopoietic organs, and thyroid diseases with minor dysfunction.

This list also includes mild mental disorders, neurotic disorders with moderate and short-term symptoms, slowly progressive diseases of the central nervous system, episodic and paroxysmal disorders with minor impairment of organ and system functions.

At the same time, the Military Medical Commission (MMC) simultaneously decides on the limited fitness of servicemen for a particular military specialty.

The Order also clarifies the procedure for assigning a place of service for those with limited fitness and changes the procedure for transferring servicemen to another position if they are recognized as having limited fitness.

This initiative of the Ministry of Defense is aimed at optimizing the process of conscription and fitness for military service in the context of the military conflict in Ukraine.