The Kyiv City Council, at the level of the relevant standing committee, supported a draft amendment to the city's targeted program "Support and Development of the Capital's Healthcare for 2024–2027," which provides for the introduction of additional non-refundable payments for staff of emergency medical response teams. The initiative, reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the city's Department of Healthcare, is aimed at financially incentivizing medics who daily dispatch to areas hit by Russian attacks and work under heightened threat of repeated shelling. The relevant document has already passed the review stage in the standing committee of the Kyiv City Council on healthcare, family, social and veterans' policy matters, and is now awaiting adoption at a session of the city parliament.
Who will receive extra pay and for what
This concerns employees of the Kyiv Municipal Enterprise "Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine of the City of Kyiv" — it is precisely these teams that arrive first in the areas where strikes have occurred and provide aid to the injured, even when a repeated air raid alarm sounds over the city. The draft provides for non-refundable financial assistance, which is paid on top of the base salary. At the same time, a higher rate is provided for work directly at strike sites compared to duty during a general air raid alarm. The specific amount of the payment will depend on the actual time the medic works or the duration of the team's dispatch under the corresponding conditions. The Department of Healthcare emphasizes that such payments should become an additional, not primary, form of financial support for specialists working in dangerous areas.
"Medics dispatch to strike sites and often themselves come under repeated shelling"
Tatiana Mostepan, Director of the Department of Healthcare of the Kyiv City State Administration, stated in a comment on the initiative: "Our emergency response teams work daily where the risks are greatest. During enemy attacks, medics dispatch to strike sites, save people, and often themselves come under repeated shelling." According to her, emergency medical care remains one of the capital's key rescue services, so support for its workers must be not only moral but also financial. Mostepan also noted that the measures adopted are intended to reduce staff strain and increase the attractiveness of service under ongoing combat conditions.
Protective clothing and metal detectors: what else is included in the program
In addition to the extra payments, the same amendments to the city's targeted program provide for financing specialized clothing for staff of emergency medical response teams. By the designers' intent, the uniform will have protective characteristics necessary for working in dangerous conditions — this refers to armor elements or reinforced components that will reduce the risk of injury during shelling. In addition, stationary metal detector gates are planned to be installed in medical facilities where military medical commissions operate. This measure is intended to enhance the safety of both the medics themselves and visitors undergoing medical examination. Thus, the city program goes beyond mere financial incentives and includes a comprehensive set of measures for the physical protection of staff.
Context: new rules for hospital operations during alarms
The initiative on extra payments fits into a broader package of decisions adopted in recent days. To recall, on September 21, 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved new rules for hospital operations during air raids. According to the document, at a "yellow" threat level, medical facilities continue to operate in normal mode but are obliged to ensure unobstructed access for patients and staff to shelters. At a "red" level, staff and patients are obliged to move to safe locations. At the same time, it is explicitly forbidden to interrupt processes whose interruption is life-threatening — in particular, surgical operations, resuscitation, and intensive care. Emergency medical care, as stated in the rules, operates continuously regardless of the threat level. It is precisely this continuous operation of the ambulance service under combat conditions that became one of the key arguments in favor of introducing additional payments.
Contradictory data
No significant discrepancies in figures, dates, or wording were identified in the provided sources. All three relevant publications (RBC-Ukraine, censor.net, kp.ua) unanimously report on the committee's support for the draft, the non-refundable nature of the payments, and the linkage of the extra pay amount to the actual time worked. The differences are stylistic only. No separate source was found in the selection that would dispute the fact of the draft's consideration or give a different assessment of its status. At the same time, it is important to note that, at the time of publication, the news describes a draft supported at the committee level, not a law finally adopted by the city council — the final decision will be made at a session.
