The Ministry of Health of Ukraine intensified efforts to strengthen the forensic medical examination system. About this informs press office of the Ministry of Health.
“We have launched a systemic reform of forensic medical examination — and we are already seeing progress: more regional bureaus are involved in the identification process, laboratories are receiving modern equipment, for the first time in many years the training of interns has been resumed. Our task is not just to support, but also to strategically develop the service: technically, organizationally, and personnel-wise.
Only within the framework of the Istanbul Agreements, 6,057 bodies were returned to Ukraine — and the necessary forensic medical examinations and identification measures are being carried out for each one. This is a huge responsibility. It is also a question of trust in the state in an extremely sensitive area, which concerns the dignified return of everyone who died and the establishment of justice.” — emphasized Minister of Health Viktor Lyashko.
Until 2023, regional bureaus remained subordinate to local authorities, which made centralized management and coordination of identification processes difficult. In 2024, these institutions were transferred to the sphere of management of the Ministry of Health, which initiated systemic changes. In particular, the regional bureaus received more than 100 units of the latest laboratory equipment, purchased with state funds through the State Enterprise “Medical Procurement of Ukraine”. This brought the number of institutions involved in repatriation and identification from 5 to 19, with an even wider reach expected in 2025.
A unified body numbering system has also been implemented, which facilitates interaction with investigative bodies and speeds up identification. The creation of the Unified National Identification Center is being completed, where forensic experts will work together with law enforcement officers and international specialists on the most difficult cases. The center will become the main analytical and expert center in the field of determining the identity of the dead. The expansion and upgrading of laboratories made it possible to conduct new types of examinations, including DNA analyzes and modern toxicological studies.
We will remind you that in 2024, the Ministry of Health resumed the internship in the specialty “forensic medical examination” after a seven-year break, which made it possible to attract a new generation of specialists: 34 doctors entered the internship. In 2025, another 43 budget places for future experts are planned.
