Ambulance staff in Kyiv are set to receive additional pay for working during air raid alerts and at sites of Russian attacks. PHOTO
In Kyiv, there are plans to introduce special allowances for emergency medical staff working in high-risk conditions during Russian attacks. The amount of the payments will depend on how long the medics worked during the alert or were on their way to the scene of the incident.
According to Censor.NET, this was announced in a post by the Kyiv City Health Department on Facebook.
According to the department, it is proposed that the relevant changes be incorporated into the city’s targeted programme ‘Support and Development of Healthcare in the Capital for 2024–2027’. The draft has already been endorsed by the Kyiv City Council’s Standing Committee on Healthcare, Family, Social and Veterans’ Policy.
This involves non-repayable financial assistance, in addition to their basic salary, for staff at the Kyiv City Centre for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine.
Special consideration will be given to the work of teams during air raid alerts and call-outs directly to the sites of attacks. If medical staff have to work at the site of a Russian strike whilst an air raid alert is in force, they will be paid at a higher rate.
Specific amounts have not yet been disclosed. Payment will be determined in proportion to the time worked or the duration of the team’s deployment in hazardous conditions.
"During enemy attacks, medical staff travel to the sites of strikes, rescue people and often find themselves under repeated shelling. Therefore, financial support for these workers is a matter of fairness and gratitude for their work," said Tetiana Mostipan, Director of the Kyiv City State Administration’s Department of Health.
According to her, during air raid alerts, whilst other people are heading for shelters, emergency response teams, on the contrary, must travel to where the casualties are.
"We must support these people not only with words, but also with concrete decisions," emphasised Mostipan.
In addition to financial support, the amendments to the programme provide for the procurement of specialised protective clothing for emergency medical teams to wear whilst working in hazardous conditions.
Another safety measure is to be the installation of fixed metal detector gates in medical facilities where military medical commissions operate.
During the committee meeting, the operation of healthcare facilities during air raid alerts was also discussed. The department emphasises that protocols must simultaneously ensure the provision of emergency care and minimise risks to patients and healthcare workers.
"Where medical care is urgent, it must be provided. However, if a consultation or a scheduled appointment can be postponed, we must not put the lives of patients and healthcare workers at risk for the sake of it," Mostipan emphasised.
The committee endorsed the draft amendments with technical and editorial clarifications. The next stage will be its further consideration in accordance with the established procedure.
- As a reminder, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved new rules governing the operation of healthcare facilities depending on the level of air threat.
