Odesa Doctors Urge City Council to Preserve Driver Medical Commission Amid Closure Threat

Doctors of the commission for medical examinations of candidates for drivers and vehicle drivers, which operates in Odesa City Hospital No. 5, appealed to members of the city council with a request not to terminate the commission's work in its current form.

The appeal of the doctors was read out by deputy Andriy Vagapov during a meeting of the Odesa City Council's Standing Committee on Health Care.

It follows that the commission, which also conducts medical examinations for owners of weapons and small vessels and is currently working to meet the needs of people with disabilities resulting from the war, is on the verge of closure.

According to Andriy Vagapov, he personally spoke with the doctors of this commission and found out that the doctors have been working part-time for several years.

"A month and a half ago, the management of the fifth hospital told them over the phone to write letters of resignation. They say they already have a shortage of doctors. When I visited them, there was a queue of war veterans," the MP emphasized.

Instead, Levon Nikoghosyan, head of the Health Department of the Odesa City Council, noted that no one is closing the commission and that everyone is on the staff list. As for the recommendation to write resignations, the official advised not to pay attention to verbal demands.

Another problem emphasized by the deputy is that, according to him, war veterans do not have any benefits during the commission and are forced to pay for its services, and he seems to have witnessed this himself. Levon Nikoghosyan denied that veterans pay for this commission and suggested an on-site meeting of the commission.

The deputies agreed to go to the hospital and check the facts stated in the doctors' statement. The offsite meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 22.

Кирило Бойко