Sonam Wangchuk’s legal team will move a division bench against the Delhi High Court order refusing his transfer from Safdarjung Hospital
NEW DELHI: Sonam Wangchuk’s legal team on Sunday alleged a “hostile atmosphere” at Safdarjung Hospital, claiming that dozens of policemen had been deployed around the activist’s room, and said it would challenge the Delhi High Court’s refusal to shift him to a private medical facility.The lawyers argued that Wangchuk should have the right to choose his doctors and recover in an environment of his choice.Speaking after the hearing on a plea seeking Wangchuk’s transfer to a private hospital, senior advocate Vivek Tankha said the Delhi High Court had heard both sides and passed a detailed order addressing multiple issues raised by the petitioner.Tankha said the court had directed that medical reports relating to Wangchuk’s condition be shared with his wife.He also raised concerns over what he described as a “hostile atmosphere” around the activist’s hospital room, claiming that around 30 police personnel were stationed near or outside the room and another 100 were deployed on the ground floor.“Given this situation, wouldn’t a patient’s blood pressure spike rather than drop?” Tankha said, arguing that Wangchuk needed “an environment of his own and his own doctors” in order to recover.Clarifying that the family’s objections were not directed at government hospitals, Tankha said, “It is not that we lack faith in Safdarjung or AIIMS; however, the family who visited him have clearly stated that he repeatedly expresses a lack of trust in the government hospital system.”According to the lawyer, Wangchuk wants to be shifted to Medanta Hospital, prompting the legal team to question why the transfer was being blocked.“We are now going to file an appeal. We will appear before the divisional bench tomorrow and, through the LPA we are filing, we want to ask: doesn’t an individual have the right to choose their own hospital and doctor?” Tankha said.Referring to arguments made during the hearing, he added, “Advocate Kapil Sibal kept reiterating today: Look, it is my body and my family. I need to recover; how can you force me to stay with doctors of your choosing or remain in your hospital? I don’t even know what intravenous fluids you are administering….”The Delhi High Court on Sunday declined to grant interim relief on a plea filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, seeking his transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to a private medical facility.The court directed that the activist continue receiving treatment at Safdarjung Hospital until the next hearing.Angmo had moved the high court alleging that Wangchuk’s continued stay at the hospital amounted to “illegal and unconstitutional confinement” and sought his transfer to a private hospital of the family’s choice.Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday after being removed from Jantar Mantar, where he had been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.Delhi Police said the move was carried out on medical advice and in compliance with court directions.The hospital later rejected allegations regarding Wangchuk’s treatment, saying such claims were “not conducive to the smooth management of the patient’s medical care.”
