As a consultant surgeon in Dundee, Sam Eljamel held a privileged and respected position in society.
He was someone to whom those in distress and discomfort turned in their hour of need.
But instead of providing succour to his patients, Eljamel brought suffering and misery.
He didn’t just break the bond of trust that is vital to the patient / doctor relationship. He took it and shredded it.
Worst of all, his remorse for his actions seems to extend no further than ruing the loss of his own personal status.
At Holyrood yesterday, a number of Eljamel’s victims gathered to raise awareness of their plight.
Their personal stories are hard to listen to. But if lessons are to be learned, their voices need to be heard at the most senior levels of government and within the top echelons of the NHS.
Eljamel’s victims have long called for a public inquiry into their treatment and the malign legacy he has left.
That could be a long and difficult process.
But if it shields even one patient from the abuses which were visited upon Eljamel’s victims, it would be time, money and effort well spent.
And if it should provide some solace and closure to his victims, that would also be worthwhile.
They have suffered long enough.
And they deserve nothing less than the full and unvarnished truth, whatever that might be.
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