Sonam Wangchuk's wife seeks discharge from Safdarjung Hospital, cites lack of transparency

After climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital early on July 18 following health deterioration due to a hunger strike, his wife Gitanjali J. Angmo wrote to the hospital asking to complete discharge formalities at the earliest so that the agitator can be shifted to a medical centre of the family's choice, citing "lack of transparency" in his treatment.

Earlier in the day, Wangchuk's wife had written to the hospital not to undertake any treatment of the activist without her consent.

In a fresh letter, she accused the hospital of not sharing Wangchuk's medical reports.

Addressing the Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, Gitanjali J. Angmo wrote: "We were informed by your team that Mr. Sonam Wangchuk's potassium levels dropped to 2.9 this morning. This is surprising as yesterday, July 17, his potassium level at 4:16 pm was 4.3. Therefore, we asked your team to share his reports with us, digitally and physically, which they refused."

She alleged that the doctors who have been treating Wangchuk for the past 20 days were not being allowed to meet him.

"This lack of transparency has shaken our trust in your hospital. Therefore, we wish to inform you that we have decided to shift Mr. Sonam Wangchuk to a medical centre of our choice," she mentioned.

"Kindly complete all his discharge formalities at the earliest to enable us to shift him, in order to ensure his well-being and health and receive an accurate medical diagnosis," Angmo said.

In her previous letter, the agitator's wife wrote: "It is my non-negotiable request and instruction to not administer any oral or intravenous substance or fluid to Mr. Wangchuk without my consent."

Moreover, she had sought "transparent sharing of medical reports either digitally or physically" of the tests that have been conducted on her husband.

Climate activist Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike for 20 days at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar before being shifted to the hospital this morning.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been leading the agitation seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.

Police personnel reached the protest site in the morning and shifted Wangchuk to the hospital amid sloganeering and protests by CJP activists and the public gathered there.

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