Andriy contacted the REActor asking for support in getting medical care, as his pleas were denied by the military commissariat (Armed Forces Recruiting Office). The man reported being detained on the street by draft office personnel and taken to the commissariat, where the client tried to explain that he was severely ill and unfit for combat duty for health reasons (as he had stage 4 AIDS disease). The commissariat representatives replied that they had their physical evaluation board to carry out medical fitness assessments and that they would evaluate Andriy’s fitness for military service, even though he was willing and ready to provide relevant medical records and reports.
When Andriy showed up to undergo a medical, the doctors on the physical evaluation board would not even listen to the man’s health complaints and declared him perfectly healthy and fit for service.
Once all the facts were in hand, the REActor immediately headed to the relevant Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center located in Odesa. In a conversation with the second-in-command officer, the REActor explained that Andriy was severely ill and had all the supporting documentation readily available. In addition, the man takes his ART regularly, is unable to function in daily life without medication, and his condition requires ongoing medical supervision and monitoring by an infectious disease specialist, which can also be confirmed and supported by appropriate documentary evidence.
The military recruiting office agreed to wait until the REActor and the client’s sister provided the necessary paperwork. The REActor called Andriy’s attending physician, who flat-out refused to provide the family with any Medical Certification of Illness, even though the client consented to this arrangement.
After lengthy discussions with the military recruiting office, the latter finally agreed to take the client to the regional AIDS center for a medical examination, which confirmed that Andriy was indeed suffering from AIDS and TB, and needed treatment. After that, the client was released, removed from the military conscription register, and recognized as unfit for military service for health reasons.