Safdarjung Hospital reports dehydration, rising ketones in Sonam Wangchuk
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New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk is showing signs of dehydration, compensated acidosis, low serum potassium, blood sugar of 78 mg/dl and rising urinary ketones, Safdarjung Hospital said in a medical bulletin issued at around 3.30 p.m. on Saturday, adding that he continues to refuse intravenous fluids, oral rehydration and medication.
According to the hospital, Wangchuk was conscious at the time of admission and his vital parameters, including pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, were stable.
However, medical examinations revealed dehydration, compensated acidosis, decreased serum potassium and a blood sugar level of 78 mg/dl. The hospital also said urinary ketones, recorded at 1+ on admission, had increased to 3+ by 1 p.m.
In its medical bulletin, the hospital stated: "At the time of admission, he was conscious with stable pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Signs of dehydration were seen. Blood gas analysis revealed compensated acidosis with decreased serum potassium and blood sugar of 78 mg/dl. Repeat serum potassium was similar. Urinary ketones were 1+ at the time of admission, which increased to 3+ by 1:00 p.m."
"Although intravenous fluids were advised, the patient has refused all intravenous fluids, oral rehydration fluid or any other medication. He is being continuously monitored and counselled for treatment in the best interest of his health," the bulletin added.
Meanwhile, Nitin Dighe, a member of the medical team at Jantar Mantar, claimed that the doctors monitoring Wangchuk before his hospitalisation were not informed about the reason for his transfer to Safdarjung Hospital.
Speaking about Wangchuk's condition, Dighe said, "When we learned that Sonam Wangchuk had been shifted to the hospital, we were not informed of the reason. I have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days, and our medical team has also been examining him. However, none of our doctors has been allowed to meet him because an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs is present there. We were made to wait and were not permitted to meet our patient."
He further claimed, "His wife was allowed to meet him and informed us that his potassium level is low. However, when we conducted tests yesterday around 3 p.m., his potassium level was normal. We have not been provided with the medical report. The hospital doctor has prescribed potassium, and I am taking the medicine there. This medication could have been administered at Jantar Mantar itself, so there was no need to hospitalise him. He is otherwise healthy, and he will walk to Parliament himself the day after tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, wrote to the hospital requesting that discharge formalities be completed at the earliest so that he could be shifted to a medical centre of the family's choice, citing a "lack of transparency" in his treatment.
Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for 21 days at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital early on Saturday after his health deteriorated. The transfer was carried out in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court and on the advice of medical experts.
Police personnel reached the protest site in the morning and shifted Wangchuk to the hospital amid sloganeering and protests by CJP activists and supporters.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 6, is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak case. Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike.
With IANS inputs