Activist Sonam Wangchuk was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Saturday after his hunger strike entered its 21st day. Delhi Police said he was shifted following Delhi High Court directions and doctors’ advice because of concerns about his health. Hours after his admission, the hospital issued the first official update on his condition, saying he is weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration but is currently stable. “Weak due to fasting and needs monitoring,” that’s the first update on activist Sonam Wangchuk’s health after he was shifted by Delhi Police to hospital on Saturday morning.
“Sonam Wangchuck was received and admitted at Safdarjung hospital for required health care at 7.40 am today,” read the first statement from the hospital. “He is weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration. Although he is currently stable, he requires continuous observation, monitoring and treatment to restore his body parameters,” the hospital added.
After Wangchuk was taken to the hospital, his wife Gitanjali J Angmo said no treatment should be given to him without her permission. Speaking to PTI, she said, “He is at Safdarjung Hospital. I forbid them from administering anything without my consent. No treatment should start without my consent. I hold everybody accountable if anything happens.”
In a post on X, she also wrote, “I am at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where @Wangchuk66 has been admitted. Nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenous without take consent from me, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days.”Questioning the decision to hospitalise him, Angmo claimed Wangchuk had appeared fine on Friday.“Yesterday, he was doing fine. There was no need to bring him to the hospital. It’s my right under Article 32. Without my consent and my doctor’s consent, nothing can be administered,” she told PTI.
What Was Wangchuk’s Health Condition Before He Was Hospitalised?
On Friday morning, Wangchuk’s medical team said he had mild dehydration and weighed 56.55 kg, about 350 grams less than the previous day. His blood pressure was 108/68 mmHg, blood sugar 70 mg/dL, and pulse 72 beats per minute. Doctors said he had entered the third stage of prolonged fasting, where there is a risk of organ damage.
On Friday night, Wangchuk said he wanted to continue his hunger strike despite his worsening health. He also claimed he had lost 20% of his body weight during the fast. Earlier, the Union Health Ministry had asked RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College to monitor the health of Wangchuk and other fasting protesters twice a day.
Why Is Sonam Wangchuk On A Hunger Strike?
Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy. The protest, which began at Jantar Mantar on June 20, is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a judicial investigation into the alleged exam scam, and reforms to India’s examination system. Organisers have said the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march to Parliament on July 20 will go ahead as planned, although Wangchuk’s hospitalisation and the police action have created fresh challenges for the protest.
