By IANS
New Delhi : Two staff members of Escorts hospital loyal to eminent cardiologist Naresh Trehan were Tuesday prevented from entering the institute five days after they were dismissed, even as a sacked senior doctor said he wanted to return to work but with dignity.
Yatin Mehta, director, anaesthesia and critical care, who was dismissed along with five others on May 18, the same day that Trehan was shown the door, said: "I was a part of Escorts before the present building came up. We built the institute and gave it world recognition, and now they are showing us the door."
"I have served in the hospital for 20 years and want to get back to Escorts. It's sad that they are treating us so badly. On May 18 they told me to either resign or get sacked," Mehta told IANS.
Apart from Mehta, three senior executives and two managers, and the executive assistant to Trehan were also forced to resign for their proximity to Trehan.
Ask about his future plans, Mehta said: "I want to work at Escorts, but with dignity. They cannot tell me to go to some small city. Since I have worked with Trehan for almost two decades, our proximity is but natural."
Yugul Sharma, executive assistant of Trehan, also voiced the same feelings. "I want to get back to work."
Meanwhile, Sharma and another sacked staff S.K. Sehgal were stopped from entering the hospital, but were allowed inside after Trehan personally intervened.
"They are stopping my staff, how can I work in the hospital? They are doing it deliberately even after the Delhi High Court gave us unrestricted entry till Aug 6," Trehan told reporters.
On May 18, the Fortis management removed Trehan and his support staff citing "conflict of interest". Fortis purchased 90 percent of stake in Escorts in September 2005, while Trehan owns 10 percent.
The Fortis management alleged that Trehan has been focussing more on his Rs.10 billion dollar initiative, Medicity, an upcoming healthcare hub in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi.
Meanwhile, the ongoing controversy saw Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit summoning Escorts and Fortis Managing Director S.M. Singh for discussions. The move followed complaints by patients that they were not getting good treatment at the hospital as a fall out of the Trehan-Escorts management clash.
"Singh met Dikshit late Monday evening and told her about the ground situation. She did not interfere in the affairs of the hospital but asked the management to give due attention to patient care," said a source in the chief minister's office.