You're reading: Doctors trying to help Tymoshenko during her hunger strike, say her condition is satisfactory

The state of health of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko after ten days of fasting is satisfactory, according to the chief doctor of Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv, Mykhailo Afanasyev. 

“We see her every day, and ask her about her health. She is in pain, but on the whole, her condition is rather satisfactory. She attends to herself, and goes to the shower,” he told reporters on Thursday near the hospital.

According to Afanasyev, Tymoshenko doesn’t eat, and drinks only water on doctor’s advice.

“During this time, her physical activity is certainly lower. This is due to fasting and the fact that she currently is not undergoing the procedures prescribed by German doctors,” he said.

After a visit to Tymoshenko on Tuesday, November 6, members of the Health Ministry’s medical commission and doctors of the Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 developed a number of measures to help her feel better in the absence of medical procedures, Afanasyev said. In particular, the former prime minister is taking a limited amount of drugs, he added.

According to Afanasyev, Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 has not received any recommendations from German doctors either by phone or by email since October 14.

He also noted that the Health Ministry had already asked the doctors of the Berlin-based Charite clinic three times to come to Ukraine, but hasn’t received any response so far.

At the same time, Afanasyev expressed the hope German doctors would still come soon and help convince Tymoshenko to give up her hunger strike.