STATEMENT
of non-governmental organisations in support of the Draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Improvement of Medical and Social Expert Assessment Procedures," Reg. No. 11225 of 30.04.2024
We call on Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to support at first reading the Draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Improvement of Medical and Social Expert Assessment Procedures," Reg. No. 11225 of 30.04.2024, submitted by MPs H. Tretyakova, M. Bezuhla, and O. Kovalov.
The procedures for establishing disability status and conducting medical and social expert assessments (MSEC) present significant challenges for people with disabilities, including:
- lengthy procedures, sometimes exceeding six months or more;
- inaccessibility of services for people with physical and sensory impairments, including sign language users, wheelchair users, and users of other assistive devices;
- repeated examinations, including for veterans who have already undergone a Military Medical Commission (MMC).
In addition, medical and social expert commissions are frequently associated with abuse and lack of integrity. The MSEC system has also been largely untouched by digitalisation, affecting both disability data collection and access to services.
In these circumstances, reform of the medical and social expert assessment system is critically necessary. Recognising the importance of broader reforms in this area — extending beyond disability determination procedures alone — we call for support of Draft Law Reg. No. 11225 of 30.04.2024, which will improve access to MSEC services.
Adoption of the draft law will:
- launch the digitalisation of medical and social expert assessment bodies;
- help eliminate the need for repeated examinations and reduce the time required to establish disability status, including by simplifying the MMC process for service members;
- enable expert assessments that, rather than merely recording health impairments, provide recommendations for receiving rehabilitation services and modern assistive devices.
People should not have to wait for the Ministry of Health's long-announced "major reform" of the rehabilitation and disability system — that reform is already overdue.