**Ukrainian Parliament Approves Bill to End Medical Examination Commissions**
The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has approved a draft law to eliminate the system of medical examination commissions (MSEC) for determining the severity of disabilities. The bill was supported in the first reading on November 20.
**Corruption Issues Led to Decision**
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree in October to liquidate the commissions due to accusations of corruption schemes used by Ukrainian officials to acquire falsified disability certifications. In fact, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had exposed such corruption schemes earlier this year, resulting in the cancellation of 4,106 fake disability status certificates and charging 64 officials with crimes.
**New System Proposed**
The draft law’s authors propose replacing the system of medical examination commissions with an assessment of a person’s daily functioning. This change is expected to create a more transparent procedure for assessing the needs of applicants and reduce administrative burdens. The replacement of commissions is also likely to reduce appeals against their decisions.
**Implementation by End of 2024**
According to Zelensky’s decree, all medical examination commissions in Ukraine are to be eliminated by December 31, 2024. This decision was made after reports emerged of prosecutors illegally obtaining disability status, leading the Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin to submit his resignation.
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