Why is it "Hacker News" that someone who is not physically harmed is being examined by a doctor? I thought this website was about startups?
If you find a post offtopic, you have the option to flag it. Personally I think every single detail of these disclosures is relevant to the HN theme, especially the high-tech whistleblower's attempted escape from persecution.
It's for hackers and things which interest them. Massive domestic surveillance programs are one such thing, and the ongoing Edward Snowden saga is part of that story.
Sometimes a country requires a medical exam before granting asylum as part of the process to make sure the asylee isn't bringing in some nasty disease, like TB. I don't know whether this is true for Ecuador, or wherever his destination is.