Doctors Appeal to President: Hospitals Must Not Be Used for Detention
A group of resident doctors at Safdarjung Hospital, a government-run institution in New Delhi, has appealed to President Droupadi Murmu over the continued hospitalisation of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite protest fast. In a letter dated July 21, 2026, the Resident Doctors' Association of VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital expressed concern that the hospital was being perceived as a place of detention rather than a healing institution.
“Hospitals are institutions of healing and must not be perceived as places of detention except where such restriction is expressly authorised by law and carried out in accordance with due process,” the letter stated. The doctors emphasised that patient autonomy, medical ethics, institutional independence, and the functioning of public healthcare institutions cannot be compromised.
Mr. Wangchuk was removed from a protest site at Jantar Mantar by police on July 18 and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, where access to him was restricted. On July 21, the Delhi High Court approved his wife’s plea to transfer him to Medanta Hospital, a private facility.
The doctors noted that every patient is entitled to be treated with dignity and compassion, and any restriction on liberty must be lawful, proportionate, and transparent. They said that sealing off hospital areas, deploying extensive security, and disrupting routine operations have raised concerns about whether the hospital was being used as an extension of law enforcement rather than a place of healing.
“If such measures resulted in disruption of patient care, impeded access to healthcare services, or created an environment in which a hospital appeared to function as an extension of law enforcement rather than a place of healing, the matter warrants independent examination,” the letter said.
The doctors sought the President’s intervention to allow Mr. Wangchuk to leave against medical advice if he chooses, and stressed that government hospitals and healthcare personnel must not be used for non-medical objectives. They warned that such incidents erode public trust and put healthcare workers at greater risk of hostility and violence.
Separately, resident doctors from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Maharashtra expressed anguish over police action against protesters on July 20, in which several people were injured and hospitalised.
