Should Sonam Wangchuk be kept in Safdarjung? Personal doctor calls hospital report 'suspicious', rejects potassium deficiency claim

After renowned educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk was admitted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday, his personal doctor has claimed foul play was involved.

This comes after Wangchuk was shifted to the hospital after being on an indefinite hunger strike for 20 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, however, claimed that the Delhi Police had forcibly removed Wangchuk from the site of their protests against Pradhan.

According to the hospital report, Wangchuk had shown signs of dehydration, but was conscious, with a stable pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation.

"Blood gas analysis revealed compensated acidosis with decreased serum potassium with blood sugar of 78 mg/dl. Repeat Serum Potassium was similar. Urinary ketones were 1+ at the time of admission which have increased to 3+ by 1:00 PM," the hospital report read, as per an ANI report.

Notably, hospitals typically have the equipment to replace potassium in the blood by means of intravenous fluids, which can rehydrate the body as well.

However, it noted that Wangchuk and his family have so far denied permission to administer intravenous fluids or any other medication to him.

In fact, Wangchuk's personal doctor, Dr Nitin Dighe, had claimed possible foul play, saying that keeping the activist at the hospital because his potassium level was low and because it could contribute to kidney failure was "suspicious".

"My team and I have been doing his checkups for the past 20 days. His advocates and we have not been allowed to meet him so far ... I had taken his blood sample at 3 PM yesterday and potassium was normal at that time. It was 4.8—higher than the normal value of 3.5. Now, they are saying the value has dropped," Dr Dighe noted.

He added that he had collected Wangchuk's blood and would take it for a report at a trusted hospital, as "we do not trust the government lab".

Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, has also claimed that the hospital has refused to back its claim of his potassium levels dropping from 4.3 to a 'life-threatening' 2.9.

"I am having trust issues due to lack of transparency," she said, as per a PTI report.