Legal Navigator for Foreign Military Personnel

Injuries

Contents

Foreign military personnel have the same rights to healthcare as Ukrainian military personnel.

General Information

• If military personnel feel unwell, they must contact the medical company of their unit. If the medical staff of the unit do not have the necessary means, equipment, or qualifications, they are obliged to issue a referral to a medical institution. The referral must be signed and stamped by the unit commander.

• Outpatient or inpatient treatment may be provided in the brigade’s medical company, in military medical facilities, or in civilian medical institutions.

• During treatment, communication with the unit is crucial for ensuring the accurate completion of paperwork and receipt of payments. This may be handled by a support service, if one exists in the brigade, or by heads of medical units, combat medics, or personnel officers with the help of interpreters. It is necessary to maintain contact with the immediate commander and send them all documents received during treatment.

What to Do in the Hospital

If the injury is minor, the head of the medical company may prescribe treatment in the medical company. If constant care or specialised equipment is required, treatment takes place in inpatient medical facilities (military or civilian). Treatment is free of charge. However, if necessary, personnel may purchase medicines at their own expense or through a patronage service, subject to their doctor's agreement.

What to Do in the Hospital

1. If the military personnel are conscious, they must present their identity documents, and, if available, medical documents, at the admission office. After this, they should wait to be escorted to the inpatient ward. There, all medical documents must be handed over to the doctor. If the personnel are in a critical condition, registration is carried out by the medical staff.

Documents that a personnel may have at this stage:

• in case of evacuation – form of primary medical records No. 001/o “Primary Medical Card.” The template looks like this.

• or a referral for treatment (if the personnel were sent for treatment from the unit). The template looks like this.

2. The personnel must inform their commander about their location and the date of hospitalisation. Although officially this is the responsibility of the medical institution, in practice, it often does not happen due to the high number of patients. Therefore, it is recommended to inform the immediate commander personally about one’s location, for example, by sending a message in a messenger with photos of medical documents.

3. The personnel must obtain a certificate from their unit regarding the circumstances of the injury (wound, concussion, mutilation) – “Form 5” as per the Regulation on Military Medical Expertise in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To receive this certificate, it is necessary to contact the immediate commander and ensure that they have submitted a report about the injury to the unit headquarters.

This is one of the most important documents, since it states the circumstances of the injury (for example, whether it occurred while performing military duties), the place and time of the injury (settlement, region), confirmation that the injury was not received under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and confirmation that personal protective equipment was being used.

Each of these factors influences the conclusions of the military medical commission and the expert team assessing daily functioning. These conclusions affect the amount of payments.

The unit must prepare the certificate on the circumstances of the injury within five days of the injury and send it within the same period to the medical institution.

4. When treatment is coming to an end, the personnel must ensure that the hospital has informed their unit about the forthcoming discharge. The personnel must also inform their immediate commander about the discharge and submit the discharge documents to them.

It is recommended to photograph all documents immediately upon receipt and store them both on your phone and in online storage, such as cloud services.

After treatment, the personnel must either return independently or as part of a unit escort to their place of service. Upon returning to the unit, they must report to the unit's medical station and hand over copies of their medical documents. The originals should be kept personally.

To avoid problems with the Military Law and Order Service, when returning to the unit, personnel must have documents confirming their treatment with them. If tickets are missing or other circumstances arise that extend the travel time to the unit, the immediate commander must be informed immediately.

Treatment in a private facility

The personnel also have the right to receive treatment in a private medical facility. This is possible under two conditions:

• approval from the unit command,

• the chosen medical institution provides treatment free of charge, or the personnel are able to pay for the services themselves.

To receive treatment in a private facility, it is necessary to:

• Obtain an invitation for treatment or a guarantee letter from the private institution. The template looks like this. This document confirms the possibility of providing treatment and meals to the personnel.

• Submit a report to the immediate commander requesting referral for treatment. The template looks like this. The report must also indicate whether the treatment will be provided free of charge or if personnel will be required to pay for it themselves. Copies of documents about the injury/treatment and the invitation from the private institution must be attached.

• Obtain a referral for treatment from the head of the medical service, which must be signed by the unit commander.

Transfers Between Facilities

During treatment, military personnel may be transferred between institutions. This may be initiated by the medical management for objective reasons (availability of necessary medical equipment in another facility, need for more specialised treatment, need to reduce the load on a particular hospital, etc.).

In this case, it is necessary to:

1. Obtain all required documents from the hospital, including the transfer summary, which provides doctors at the next hospital with all necessary information about the patient.

2. Arrive at the new medical institution and complete the inpatient admission process.

3. Inform the commander about one’s location, date of hospitalisation, and the department in which the personnel is admitted.

Military personnel may also wish to continue treatment in another institution. However, this is not an obligation for the doctors or the unit, so the personnel may be refused.

What Is Needed to Initiate a Transfer Independently

1. Decide in advance and contact the medical institution to which the personnel wishes to be transferred, and obtain an invitation from that institution for treatment (when transferring to another medical institution).

2. Submit an application for transfer to another medical institution addressed to the head of the current medical institution, requesting transfer to the chosen facility. In the application, it is advisable to justify the reason for the transfer (for example, the need for more specialised treatment). The invitation mentioned above must be attached to the application.

3. Obtain all necessary documents, including the transfer summary, and arrive at the new medical institution. Complete the inpatient admission process and inform the commander about the transfer.

Treatment Abroad

Treatment of military personnel abroad takes place through the MEDEVAC (Medical Evacuation) programme and is free of charge. Transport for personnel and accompanying persons is provided free of charge by Ukraine and the foreign country receiving the patient.

To initiate treatment abroad, it is necessary to:

1. Verify whether the injury is included in the list of eligible conditions for treatment abroad. For this, consultation with a specialist doctor may be required.

2. Undergo a military medical commission (MMC) to determine the need for long-term treatment abroad and obtain its decision on such a need. The certificate received confirms the medical necessity of such treatment and serves as the legal basis for continuing financial support. It is necessary to ensure that a copy of the certificate is sent to the personnel unit.

To be referred to the military medical commission, it is necessary to obtain the appropriate referral. This can be issued:

• for military personnel who are undergoing inpatient treatment, by the head/director of the institution where the personnel is being treated,

• for military personnel who are not undergoing inpatient treatment, by the immediate superior (from the unit commander and above) or the head of a territorial recruitment centre.

The entire process of preparing the necessary documents is initiated and coordinated by the medical institution where the personnel are undergoing treatment. The personnel themselves only participate in signing consents for treatment and for the transfer of medical information.

After arriving in the country where treatment will take place, it is necessary to establish contact with the Ukrainian consulate or embassy in that state.

If treatment lasts longer than four months, the military unit must ensure a remote military medical commission is carried out to confirm the need for further treatment abroad. For this, the unit must inform the personnel in advance (at least one month before the end of the four-month period) of the need to undergo such a commission and obtain medical documents from the foreign institution.

The personnel must contact the responsible doctor and obtain the following: medical record extracts, specialist doctors’ conclusions, results of additional examinations, and recommendations for further treatment. All these documents must be translated into Ukrainian and properly certified. Certification may be carried out through Ukrainian consular institutions abroad and translators accredited by Ukrainian diplomatic missions.

After this, the personnel send these documents to their military unit electronically or by post (including through diplomatic institutions). The military unit prepares and submits the final package of documents to the military medical commission, after which the commission issues a decision on the continuation of treatment. The relevant certificate is sent to the unit where the personnel serves, and the unit then sends the certificate to the personnel. Payments are retained for the period defined in the MMC conclusion on the need for long-term treatment.

Upon discharge, it is necessary to obtain a discharge summary and other medical documents, such as recommendations for further treatment or rehabilitation. The personnel must contact their doctor, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine's contact persons, and Ukrainian diplomatic representations to inform them about the completion of treatment and their readiness to return to Ukraine, and request assistance with their return.

After returning to Ukraine, it is necessary to:

1. Notify the immediate commander about the return, clarify with them the further steps, and whether it is necessary to return to the unit or obtain a referral to a medical institution in Ukraine.

2. Undergo a medical examination by the MMC to determine fitness for military service or the need for long-term treatment.