New Delhi: A legal battle has unfolded over the treatment of activist Sonam Wangchuk, with his wife Gitanjali Angmo approaching the Delhi High Court, alleging that he is being held under “illegal detention” at Safdarjung Hospital and seeking permission to shift him to a private medical facility.
In a detailed public statement, Angmo expressed serious concerns over the hospital’s handling of Wangchuk’s medical condition, claiming she no longer has confidence in the government-run institution.
According to her, doctors informed the family that Wangchuk’s potassium level had fallen to 2.9, describing it as a life-threatening condition requiring urgent medical attention. However, she alleged that the hospital’s official health bulletin did not disclose the actual figure and instead made only a general reference to “decreasing potassium levels.”
Angmo further claimed that after repeated requests and nearly ten hours of waiting, the family was finally permitted to collect a blood sample around 10:30 pm for independent testing. She said the private laboratory report showed Wangchuk’s potassium level at 3.5, which she described as being within the normal range.
Raising questions over the hospital’s medical assessment, she alleged that the family has repeatedly requested Wangchuk’s discharge or transfer to a private hospital of their choice, but those requests have been denied.
Angmo also alleged that security arrangements at the hospital have effectively restricted the family’s movement. She claimed around 30 police personnel were deployed on the floor where Wangchuk is admitted, with more than 100 security personnel stationed across the hospital premises.
Describing the situation as one that extends beyond routine medical supervision, she alleged that Wangchuk was not receiving treatment under normal circumstances but was instead being kept under unlawful confinement.
“If anything happens to Sonam, the responsibility will lie with the hospital authorities and the government,” she said, while urging that families should have the right to decide where their loved ones receive medical care.
Seeking immediate judicial intervention, Angmo said she has filed a petition before the Delhi High Court, requesting an urgent hearing to allow Wangchuk’s transfer before his health deteriorates further.
Wangchuk has been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital after being removed from his protest site, where he had been observing an indefinite hunger strike in support of demands related to alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Hospital authorities have maintained that he requires continuous medical observation due to the physiological effects of prolonged fasting, though they have not yet publicly responded to Angmo’s latest allegations or the High Court petition.
