Rada plans mandating military training for medical students – draft law
The Verkhovna Rada intends to oblige students of medical and pharmaceutical specialties to undergo military training for reserve medical service officers.
Some 262 MPs voted for the relevant bill No. 13276 on amendments to Article 11 of the Law On Military Duty and Military Service in the first reading at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday.
The proposed amendments to the law provide for the establishment of mandatory military training under the program for training reserve medical service officers for citizens of Ukraine who are receiving higher education in medical and pharmaceutical specialties, are fit for military service by health and have passed professional and psychological selection.
According to the bill, higher education institutions of all forms of ownership and subordination that conduct educational activities in medical and pharmaceutical specialties are obliged to ensure that students undergo military training under the program for training reserve medical service officers.
The Ministry of Health is authorized to approve the list of military-registration specialties in which Ukrainian citizens are trained under the reserve officer training program, and the scope of training in such specialties.
The final provisions of the draft law propose to instruct the Ministry of Defense, together with the ministries of health, education, and science, to ensure the creation of the necessary number of military training units with the necessary number of military service positions in higher education institutions that train applicants for higher education in medical and pharmaceutical specialties.