Kharkiv, April 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) - German doctors who have examined jailed former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko do not recommend that she be treated at the hospital chosen for her by Ukraine's government, Tymoshenko's lawyer said, explaining that one of the reasons is the ex-premier's distrust of doctors who would be treating her there.
The specialists, who work at Berlin clinic Charite, one of Europe’s largest hospitals, visited Ukrzaliznytsia’s hospital in Kharkiv and advised Tymoshenko against going there, lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko told reporters at Kharkiv Regional Court of Appeals on Friday.
Asked what the Charite doctors had against the Ukrainian hospital, Vlasenko declined to answer, claiming he had secrecy commitments as a defense attorney, but said Tymoshenko distrusted doctors who would be treating her there and that this was one of the factors.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said it had received a letter from the German medics in which they expressed complete satisfaction with the Ukrainian hospital’s building and equipment and assessed rehabilitative treatment methods used there as meeting European standards.
At the same time, the ministry said in a statement, the Charite doctors recommended urgent psychotherapy for Tymoshenko.
"The German specialists point out that psychological factors relating to Tymoshenko’s confidence problems with Ukrainian doctors must become a separate aspect of Tymoshenko’s treatment," it said.
"The psychosomatic component is important for the treatment of diseases of this type, the German specialists stress. The document [the doctors’ letter] says that, on the basis of Tymoshenko’s health record, urgent psychosomatic treatment is needed," the ministry said.
Vlasenko, in talking to reporters on Friday, said he did not know when the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) would get down to a complaint that has been filed by Tymoshenko’s defense.
"The Ukrainian government is doing everything possible to delay the action at the ECHR. But I have a different reason to worry. I’m worried that the ECHR’s directive on the treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko has not been carried out from March 15 to this day," Vlasenko said.
