Canadian experts from the international medical commission, which examined jailed former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, has not received the patient's medical records, Canadian physician Dr. Peter Kujtan said in an interview with BBC Ukrainian Service.
"We have not received the case history. When you inspect any patient for consultation, it is important to have access to medical records, to view them and find out what happened, to review the prescriptions. We were provided none of these. It was a bit strange," Kujtan said.
According to him, they had to rely on the information reported by members of Tymoshenko’s family and the ex-premier personally. "We were given very few documents. And it is strange, because we understand that she has had tests," the doctor said.
He stressed that the Canadian doctors were given only a short oral report from one of the politicians, who is presumably a health official at the prison service.
When asked, whether there was any pressure from the authorities on him and his colleagues, the doctor said: "I can say that I felt the pressure all the time, as most of the questions we were asked were legal issues."
Kujtan also said that the doctors had no opportunity see Tymoshenko in private.
Regarding the health condition of the ex-premier, Kujtan said: "We saw a patient who felt pain all the time, who was lying in bed. She could not get up without medication. And I think that given this information and common sense, anyone can make a conclusion and this conclusion will be ‘not in good health’."
When asked whether their final conclusions were given to the Ukrainian authorities, Kujtan said: "When we completed our preliminary examination, the Ukrainian team decided that this was our final conclusion. We offered to continue in order to accomplish our job, to have the tests done somehow and a proper report prepared. I do not know whether they want us to continue. I have not received any response. I am waiting for it and we are ready to proceed if we have the opportunity. We need to look at her medical records and to make tests at least."
