Dr. Harms of the Charité clinic in Berlin says they have been forced to suspend Yulia Tymoshenko’s treatment in connection with the unsanctioned disclosure of confidential medical information, according to the Official web site of Yulia Tymoshenko.
“The problem became more problematic today, after in recent days, specifically yesterday, the confidential treatment plan `surfaced` in the press. This is a situation that you couldn’t imagine in most countries. And so the trust that we had with Mrs. Tymoshenko has decreased significantly. Overall, a situation has emerged in which we need to review if further treatment makes sense,” said Dr. Harms.
According to him, Yulia Tymoshenko has ended her hunger strike. “There is progress regarding food. On the other hand, given the circumstances, including the constant surveillance, treatment has become problematic. It’s quite difficult to build doctor-patient relations if you can’t be one-on-one with a patient,” said the doctor.
Dr. Harms warned that the suspension of treatment could cause Yulia Tymoshenko’s conditions to worsen. “Today she refused the procedures and we’re consulting on further treatment. This means that a situation has arisen and we’ll figure this out in the process of further consultations. Therapy makes sense only if the patient is relaxed. When there are always cameras directed at her and you never know who’s behind the monitor, when you’re not alone in a room – this clearly isn’t a situation in which you can relax,” he added.
The physician said that another doctor from the Charité clinic will soon be supervising Yulia Tymoshenko’s treatment. “This was planned form the beginning. No doctor at Charité can leave for several weeks, so we have a rotation,” he explained.
The German doctor also refuted claims by representatives of the prison service that Yulia Tymoshenko’s associates are putting pressure on him. “I heard that on the radio they said I am giving in to pressure from members of Tymoshenko’s party. The word ‘terrorized’ was used. I never said this. If this was spread, then it’s a complete lie,” said Dr. Harms.
