[This is the headline over an article in today's edition of Scotland on Sunday. It reads in part:]
Officials are refusing to publish up-to-date medical reports about the health of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi.
The reports, compiled by Megrahi's Libyan doctors, have been handed to East Renfrewshire Council as part of regular assessments the local authority is making on the bomber's licensed release.
The council's criminal justice social work team is in charge of monitoring Megrahi from his home in Tripoli and could, if the medical reports show an improvement in his health, ask him to return to jail.
East Renfrewshire Council claimed last week that the medical reports belonged to the Scottish Government's justice department, where they had been sent. But the Scottish Government then said it was up to East Renfrewshire to decide whether or not to release the reports, not them.
A spokesman said: "We have decided with East Renfrewshire that they should be the first point of contact. It is their responsibility."
An East Renfrewshire spokesman declared: "These reports contain personal information. They could be released only if Mr Megrahi agreed to it. It is the same as any other criminal justice case."
Opposition parties last night said all medical information about Megrahi should be placed in the public domain. (...)
Megrahi will this week begin his ninth week of freedom at his home in Tripoli. Reports about his health have varied, some suggesting he is getting frailer, others declaring there remains optimism in Libya that he may make a recovery.
How can he make a recovery if he has terminal cancer?
ReplyDelete"The council's criminal justice social work team is in charge of monitoring Megrahi from his home in Tripoli and could, if the medical reports show an improvement in his health, ask him to return to jail."
ReplyDeleteIt does not say how politely they have to ask him. Naturally the appeal would remain dropped, I suppose. If it wasn't so damned tragic it would be laughable.
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Here's a PDF document explaining about Megrahi's health in understandable terms.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00603/Abdel_Baset_al_Megr_603477a.pdf
"It is very difficult to be precise on matters of prognosis for any disease and Mr Megrahi's
condition is no different..."
The doctors' names are blacked out, but easily available elsewhere, like here:
"Libya 'bought' al-Megrahi's diagnosis"
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=109139
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Ruth said...
How can he make a recovery if he has terminal cancer?
That is a good question! Let us pray that he does it anyway.
Let's hope he does. But it's surely impossible for a person to survive terminal cancer when given about three months to live.
ReplyDeleteBut then the question must be raised does he have terminal cancer?
ReplyDeleteIt suddenly struck me, that Mr. Megrahi would be likely to read this blog, being a primary source of his support.
ReplyDelete- - -
"At home with the Lockerbie bomber"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6806087.ece
Despite the ghastly headline - not a foregone conclusion in the article - it is actually very good. There are some comments about Megrahi's appearance.
sfm Thank you. I had already read the article but I always treat articles in the Times with scepticism particularly those concerning areas sensitive to the government.
ReplyDeleteBy the way I really hope he doesn't have terminal cancer after all that he and his family have suffered.
ReplyDeleteIn the revealed paper that records Mr. Megrahi´s illness we can read one important sentence: "Cure is not an option". That means: either Mr. Megrahi is not suffering at all from cancer - or his cancer is in its final stage.
ReplyDeleteI think we can exclude that he is free of cancer. The cancer was detected by British doctors, I suppose, in first place.
If the cancer was in its early stages when the statement was made it would be in breach of the medical oath to deny Mr. Megrahi the minimal chance of a cure.