From the Frontline to Ambulance Service: How Combat Medics Can Continue Working After Leaving the Service
Combat medics who have completed military service will be able to continue their professional activities in the civilian healthcare system. The Ministry of Health expects that specialists will join the work in the emergency medical assistance system.
According to the Ministry of Health, to get employed, one must contact the Emergency Medical Assistance and Disaster Medicine Center in any region of Ukraine and register for the position of emergency medical technician.
The ministry noted that the integration of combat medics returning from service into civilian medicine is one of the priorities of state policy in the healthcare sector, as outlined in the Government’s Priority Action Plan for 2026.
"The state aims for every combat medic who contacts the Emergency Medical Assistance and Disaster Medicine Center to have the opportunity to get a job in the profession acquired in the military," the Ministry of Health stated.
The ministry reminded that in September 2025, the professional standard "Emergency Medical Technician" was approved. It allows combat medics to be employed in the emergency medical assistance system at the initial stage without additional training and later confirm their professional qualifications.
This opportunity is available to servicemen who have a certificate of professional qualification "Combat Medic" and served as a combat medic of a platoon in the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations.
After employment, the emergency medical technician must pass a qualification exam within a year to confirm their professional level. If the specialist does not have a driver’s license of the appropriate category, it must be obtained within two years.
At the same time, medics with advanced training in tactical pre-hospital care and relevant service experience can apply for the qualification of emergency medical technician of class I or II.
As previously reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", access to narcotic analgesics on the frontline has been simplified for combat medics. The government introduced relevant changes to the procedure for handling such drugs, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Specifically, the government abandoned the use of civilian medical reporting forms in combat conditions. Instead, combat medics will be able to use simplified military documents, including the "Wounded Soldier Card," which allows quick and legal recording of drug use directly on the battlefield.
The changes concern the procedure for purchasing, transporting, storing, dispensing, using, and destroying narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors in healthcare institutions. The key innovation is the legalization of primary accounting documentation approved by the Ministry of Defense instead of civilian forms during martial law and for 60 days after its termination.
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