Assignment of medics to non-specialized military roles banned – Ministry of Health
Starting June 12, 2025, medical personnel, pharmacists, and rehabilitation specialists can no longer be appointed to non-specialized positions in the Armed Forces unless they give their voluntary consent.
This was reported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, according to Censor.NET.
On June 12, a presidential decree came into effect amending the Regulations on Military Service for Ukrainian Citizens in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The document outlines specific conditions for military service for individuals with medical or pharmaceutical education, as well as rehabilitation professionals, including during martial law.
The key change is the introduction of a provision prohibiting the assignment of such specialists to military positions that are not related to the provision of medical, pharmaceutical, or rehabilitation care, or to positions that require a lower level of education or qualification than that held by the candidate. The only exception is the voluntary consent of the service member to such an assignment.
This applies to service members and citizens who:
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hold a master’s degree in a medical or pharmaceutical field and possess a relevant specialist physician or pharmacist certificate;
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hold a master’s degree in the fields of "Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Technologies" (specialization in "Prosthetics and Orthotics"), "Therapy and Rehabilitation," or "Biomedical Engineering" (educational program focused on prosthetic and orthotic technologies);
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have a higher education degree and have completed postgraduate specialization in "Occupational Therapy," "Prosthetics and Orthotics," "Speech and Language Therapy," or "Physical Therapy."
The decree also updates the requirements for conferring the rank of junior lieutenant, both for current service members and for citizens who may be mobilized or enlisted under contract.
The list of eligible specializations now includes not only physicians but also pharmacists. They may be appointed to officer positions within the medical service, followed by military training under the tactical-level medical officer training program (if they have not previously completed a reserve officer training course in the medical service).
The decree also defines a list of specializations that qualify individuals to serve in rehabilitation-related positions. Such professionals may be appointed to officer roles in the field of rehabilitation, including prosthetics and orthotics, with subsequent military training (if needed).
As a reminder, earlier this year the Government allowed for 100% military exemption from mobilization of medical personnel employed at state- and municipally-owned healthcare institutions, public health facilities, forensic medical and psychiatric examination institutions, and blood centers — provided these institutions are their primary place of employment.
At the same time, to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the defense sector, a mechanism has been developed for revoking military exemption for specific medical workers whose skills are critically needed.
