Government approves anti-corruption plan to reform medical commissions
Source: Uryadovyi Portal
Ukraine’s government has green-lit a plan to weed out corruption scheemes in Medical-Social Expert Commissions, according to prime minister Denys Shmyhal. Following the October 25 government meeting, he made public the key decisions:
- Dissolution of Current MSECs: The government plans to phase out such medicanl commisions by the end of this year, bringing in new to medical-social reveiw policies.
- Review and Audit Group: A specialized group will re-assess past MSEC decisions over the next three months, focusing on potential abuses and manipulations.
- Digitalization Initiatives: The Ministry of Health will team up with Ministry of Digital Transformation for a digital overhaul of the medical commission processes by November, aiming for transparency and streamlined operations.
- Pension Audit for Disability Payments: The Pension Fund will join forces with State Bureau of Investigation, National Police, and Security Service to conduct a fast-track audit of disability-related pension payments for prosecutors and other state officials.
- Legislative Reforms: The Ministries of Health and Social Policy have been tasked with drafting legislative reforms to restructure the medical commission system.
Shmyhal demanded each of the ministry involved in the effort must make it a priority, with clear timelines and accountability.
Earlier this week, health minister Viktor Liashko announced that the Central Medical-Social Expert Commission will be dissolved on Friday.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.