From a news story in the Telegraph:
US senators have called on the Scottish government to disclose the Lockerbie bomber’s full medical records in an attempt to understand why he was released early.
In a letter to First Minister Alex Salmond they asked for the release of all medical documentation for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi both while under Scottish care and after.
They also asked the Scottish government to issue the names, medical training and specialisations of the doctors who examined Megrahi.
The senators — who include my own two senators — say that if Megrahi’s permission is required to release the records, they’d ask that the Scottish government request that permission.
A copy of the letter is available online (pdf). It reads, in part:
We understand that an extensive medical record was used as the basis of the decision to release Mr. al-Megrahi, but only one three-page medical document with redactions has been released by the Scottish government. Independent examination of Mr. al-Megrahi’s complete medical record is necessary in order to understand the circumstances surrounding his compassionate release. As you know, this matter is of the utmost importance to many Americans, especially the families of the 189 American victims aboard Pam Am flight 103.”
And what if Megrahi doesn’t agree to waive any medical privacy rights he might have in Scotland? I can think of no rational reason why he would ever consent to such release. Then what?
Although I understand the outrage many people are feeling that Megrahi is free and any sense they might have of having been “hoodwinked,” demanding the medical records of someone for review by people not involved in his care goes beyond just starting down a slippery slope. Didn’t our Congress learn nothing from their foray into Terri Schiavo’s medical records?