Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was moved from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram following an order from the Delhi High Court [1, 2].
The transfer follows a period of intense public scrutiny regarding Wangchuk's health and detention. His movement to a private facility marks a significant shift in his medical care while he continues to protest government policies.
Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, approached the Delhi High Court to request the transfer [1]. Angmo said in a petition to the court that her husband was being held in illegal detention at Safdarjung Hospital and requested that he be shifted to a private medical facility [1, 4].
The court granted the request to move Wangchuk to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram [2, 3]. This decision was based on the necessity for close health monitoring, as Wangchuk had been engaging in a hunger strike [4].
The activist's hunger strike was launched to protest the NEET-UG paper leak, highlighting concerns over educational integrity, and administrative transparency [4]. The legal intervention by Angmo ensured that Wangchuk could receive specialized care away from the state-run facility in Delhi.
Medanta Hospital is located in Gurugram, Haryana, where Wangchuk is now receiving treatment [2, 3]. The shift follows the court's determination that his medical condition required a different environment for stabilization and monitoring during his protest action [4].
“Sonam Wangchuk was moved from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram”
The Delhi High Court's intervention underscores the tension between state custody and the right to medical care for political dissidents. By allowing the transfer to a private hospital, the court acknowledged the risks associated with Wangchuk's hunger strike over the NEET-UG leak, effectively prioritizing his health stabilization over the government's preference for his location of care.
