- Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is at risk if moved from Safdarjung hospital, say sources
- His wife seeks transfer to a private hospital citing loss of faith in Safdarjung's transparency
- Government sources defend Safdarjung and AIIMS as providing top medical care
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's life would be at risk if he is shifted from Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, government sources have said, disagreeing with his wife's request before the Delhi High Court to allow him to be moved to a private facility.
Gitanjali Angmo has said that she has "lost faith" in Safdarjung and accused it of a lack of transparency in her husband's treatment after three weeks of hunger strike for education reforms.
Sources, however, pointed out that it is the same court that had earlier ordered the government to ensure medical intervention in Wangchuk's case. They asked how it can be said that hospitals like AIIMS and Safdarjung cannot provide the best medical care as compared to a private facility.
Read: "Lost Faith In Safdarjung": Sonam Wangchuk's Wife Goes To Delhi High Court
They further asked who will bear the responsibility if anything happens to Wangchuk after he's shifted to a private hospital. It is the government that would have to answer why the patient was shifted despite treatment being available at premier government institutions, sources said.
Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 28 over the alleged NEET paper leak, as part of the satirical outfit Cockroach Janta Party's protest against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Last morning, he was removed from the protest site and shifted to Safdarjung hospital, in a police action that followed a court order to the government to save Wangchuk's life at any cost.
Earlier in the day, Angmo had said that she has sought an urgent hearing in the Delhi High Court, seeking to shift Wangchuk from Safdarjung to a private hospital before his health deteriorates further.
Read: "From Illegal Detention": Sonam Wangchuk's Message Ahead Of Parliament March
She also called his Safdarjung stay an "illegal detention".
Sharing an update on Wangchuk, sources in the health ministry said that he has refused intravenous fluids, oral rehydration fluid, or any other medication, and he is being constantly monitored and counselled for treatment.
His potassium levels were tested twice yesterday at the best testing facilities of the hospital, they said, adding that he has a history of fasting for prolonged periods.
