Sonam Wangchuk shifted to Safdarjung hospital, wife says Parliament march on
Activist Sonam Wangchuk is "absolutely fine" and the planned march to Parliament will go ahead, his wife Gitanjali J. Angmo said on Saturday after he
Activist Sonam Wangchuk is "absolutely fine" and the planned march to Parliament will go ahead, his wife Gitanjali J. Angmo said on Saturday after he was shifted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital from the Jantar Mantar protest site early in the day. Wangchuk was moved on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike. Angmo said the hospital had declined to share copies of his medical reports despite repeated requests. She said she had told the authorities that no medical treatment should be given to Wangchuk without her consent, and had also sought his discharge, citing what she called a lack of transparency. Read Full Story Angmo said doctors had told the family that Wangchuk's potassium level had fallen to 2.9 from 4.3 a day earlier, but alleged that they had not been given copies of the reports. "Yesterday, doctors from Safdarjung had checked him and all vitals were normal. Potassium was 4.3. Now they are saying the potassium is 2.9 and it is life-threatening.
But when we asked for the report, they are showing us the report but not giving it. I am having trust issues due to lack of transparency," she said. She said the family had decided to get Wangchuk examined independently before agreeing to any treatment. "I've asked them not to administer potassium... We are going to do another test from a different lab before giving medicines. Sonam is absolutely fine and we will soon shift him to a hospital we trust," she said. In two letters to the Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, Angmo said no oral or intravenous medicine or fluid should be given to Wangchuk without her consent and asked for copies of all medical reports. In a separate communication, she sought his discharge so that he could be moved to a medical facility chosen by the family. Angmo also questioned the police presence outside the hospital and said they were not being allowed to carry their phones inside.
"If it's just a medical issue why is there so much police here? Why are we not being allowed to take our phone? It feels like this is Safdarjung prison, not Safdarjung Hospital," she said. She said Wangchuk's removal from the protest site would not affect the agitation. "He will be absolutely fine and participate in the march. The youth have kept the movement on. Even if Sonam can't participate in the march, I will represent him and lead the march on Monday. It's not that by forcefully removing Sonam they can stop it," she said. Referring to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, Angmo said Wangchuk had joined because he believed the demands were genuine and the protest was organic. "This protest is an example. Gen Z has shown how peacefully they can protest," she said. She also said the issue reflected a wider institutional crisis. "The NEET exam leak was just a symptom.
The BriefWire