Escorts bars Naresh Trehan's entry

NEW DELHI: Tension broke out at the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC) this morning with angry relatives of patients protesting the management's decision to prevent renowned cardiologist Naresh Trehan from entering the hospital premises.

Trehan, who yesterday dubbed as "nonsense" the announcement by Fortis Healthcare (the owners of EHIRC) that he has left the company, was stopped at the gates by the security guards this morning.

When contacted, Trehan said it was the relatives and family members of the patients who came out in support of him and wanted him to perform surgeries.

"My job is to take care of patients. It was the relatives of those patients on whom serious surgeries had to be done who got worried. Since early morning they have been calling up at my home," he said.

Later, after making his way into the hospital premises, Trehan said: "I'm going for an operation now."

Fortis Healthcare yesterday announced that Naresh Trehan has relinquished office as Executive Director of EHIRC to pursue his Medicity project in Gurgaon (Haryana).

"He (Trehan) now leaves EHIRC to concentrate on his (Medicity) venture. He continues to be a 10 per cent shareholder in EHIRC," a statement by Fortis said.

Reacting sharply, Trehan, who holds 10 per cent stake in EHIRC, debunked the announcement saying that he had not quit nor Fortis management had talked to him before making any such announcement, a claim contested by Fortis officials.

"What nonsense, I am not going to quit, I have my patients to attend to," Trehan told PTI.