By IANS
New Delhi : Escorts Hospital has removed the name of renowned cardiologist and former executive director Naresh Trehan from its rolls and instructed the registering desk not to admit fresh patients in his name.
Since morning, the hospital authorities have turned down at least a dozen patients, who came to see Trehan, even as the top doctor performed a couple of surgeries Monday.
"I have been waiting in the hospital since 10 in the morning. Though Trehan conducted bypass surgery and replaced a valve of my heart in October 2004, yet they (the registration desk) told me that they don't have the record," said M.K. Goel, a patient.
"I called Trehan in the morning and spoke about my complications and he asked me to come to the hospital but here his name has been removed. I think I need to go and see a heart specialist in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital," Goel told IANS, adding that she has breathing problem, serious pain on the shoulder and places adjoining the heart.
Goel's nephew Dinesh Verma said: "It's double expenditure for our family. My uncle is a patient of Escorts but now they are disowning us."
Trehan and his support staff were removed from Escorts Friday for "conflict of interest". However, on Saturday the Delhi High Court gave him relief and asked the Fortis Healthcare backed hospital to allow unrestricted entry till at least Aug 6.
Fortis had purchased the 90 percent stake in the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre in September 2005 and the rest 10 percent share vested with Trehan, who had served the hospital for 20 years as its executive director.
Yugul Sharma, the executive assistant of Trehan, said that nearly 15 patients of the doctor from far off places like Jaipur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar were turned down. "Dr. Trehan number is no more in the hospital's list."
"As per the court order, they need to take me and nearly five other doctors and assistants back into their employee fold but they are declined to do so. On May 18, they forced me to sign my resignation letter," Sharma told IANS.
Close aides of Trehan said that nearly 50 doctors and staff are ready to tender their resignation as soon as Trehan stops being a part of Escorts.
"We know, the management has started luring the senior doctors but at least 50 doctors and staff are ready to defy that," said a senior doctor.
Meanwhile, Escorts and Fortis managing director S.M. Singh continued to maintain that the 10 percent stake of Trehan is not a matter of concern for them.
"His stake is safe and will not be touched. He continues to be a 10 percent shareholder of the hospital," Singh said.