Wife Questions Government's Right to Intervene in Activist’s Medical Choice After Court Denies Relief

Following the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant interim relief for the immediate discharge of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital, his wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, has raised questions about a citizen’s right to choose their own medical treatment. Wangchuk, who was on an indefinite hunger strike, was forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar by police on the 20th day of his protest.

Angmo alleged that the hospital had misled the family about Wangchuk's health. “Yesterday (July 18), we were informed that his potassium was 2.9, which is life-threatening, but we were never given the reports. Around 2:30 am on Sunday, when we were finally shown his reports, his potassium levels were 3.6, which is normal. So we have been misguided; thus we want him to be shifted out of Safdarjung Hospital,” she said.

She posed a broader question: “Does a citizen of this country not have the right to choose their own treatment — which doctor they want to consult, which hospital they want to be admitted to — and can the government intervene in that choice?”

Angmo further questioned the government’s motives, stating, “If the government was really worried about his health, why did they not bring a team of doctors to conduct the tests at Jantar Mantar itself, and only move him to a hospital if there was a genuine risk? The way he was removed from there is illegal. So the question I want to ask is — is Bharat really a democracy?”

After the High Court’s order did not provide immediate relief, Angmo said, “We will file an appeal before a divisional bench tomorrow (July 20).”

Meanwhile, Dr. Prof. Manisha Thakur, Head of the Department of Medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, stated on Sunday that Wangchuk’s vital parameters were stable and his blood parameters showed marginal improvement. However, she added that he required round-the-clock medical care and monitoring.

On the issue of health updates being shared with the family, Angmo said, “When Dr DK and Dr Lamba were monitoring him, for the past 20 days, we used to get his health updates every day. But since Wangchuk has been brought here (Safdarjung Hospital), there have been no regular updates given to us. His exact vitals are not being shared with us transparently or on time. Owing to these lapses, we wanted to move him to a hospital that we trust, and which can provide all these facilities smoothly.”

Angmo likened the situation to a “detention without any formal order,” drawing a parallel to Wangchuk’s 170-day detention in Jodhpur. She claimed that around 30 to 40 police personnel remained constantly present on their floor, keeping vigil, and that she was not permitted to carry her phone inside, while Wangchuk was denied his Samsung tablet, which he uses for study. She added that a police constable was sometimes present in the room while she spoke with him.

Regarding the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) planned march to Parliament from Jantar Mantar on July 20, Angmo said, “The government moved Sonam to a government hospital because they knew the movement would grow much bigger with him at Jantar Mantar. But they did not realise the movement would get double the support after they illegally detained him. Sonam has urged everyone to carry out the march peacefully. Education is the foundation of any country’s development. If we want to become Vishwa Guru, we have to work for the education of our children. The education system, which has been broken, needs to be fixed for our country to reap its demographic dividend, and to produce innovators and entrepreneurs.”

She added, “If they had allowed Sonam to be shifted to Medanta Hospital, he would have joined the protest, but the government did not allow that. So I will represent Sonam at the march tomorrow.” Angmo also issued an advisory to participants, urging them “to be aware of nefarious elements who want to jeopardise the protest, and to remain peaceful at all times.”