High drama over Dr Trehan's exit

New Delhi: A high-voltage drama has unfolded at Delhi's renowned Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre and at the centre of the drama is country’s topmost cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan.

In a sudden move, Fortis Healthcare on Friday announced the exit of Dr Naresh Trehan, giving a big jolt the medical fraternity and Dr Trehan's patients. Doctors at the institute say there was a growing rift between Escorts Managing Director Shivinder Mohan Singh and Dr Trehan.

Reports suggest that there was a clash of interest between Escorts and Dr Trehan's own Medicity Project in Gurgaon. The differences had been brewing for sometime now and it reached a boiling point on Friday when the hospital announced Trehan's 'exit'.

A statement issued by Fortis said: "Naresh Trehan relinquishes the post of Executive Director, EHIRC to concentrate on his Medicity Project. He now leaves EHIRC to concentrate on this venture. However, he continues to be a 10 per cent shareholder in EHIRC."

Fortis officials claim that Trehan's increasing concentration on his own project was the problem. "It is a conflict of interests that has led to his ouster. It’s not fair to say he was not giving all his attention to the patients at Escorts. But what I can say is that he has been demitted from office," JS Puri, Vice-President of Fortis Group, says.

Dr Trehan, who holds a 10 per cent stake in the institute, is also the Executive Director and chief sardio-thorasic surgeon at the institute.

Shivinder Mohan Singh, one of the principal promoters of Fortis Healthcare, says the first priority of the hospital is the treatment of its patients and that Dr Trehan's role has been as a doctor and as an investor, and not as an administrator.

"We have terminated the administrative role and asked him as of yesterday to give up his administrative functions as a doctor and a physician. We have told him that he is more than welcome to come and meet his patients and he continues to be an investor. He owns 10 per cent of the company," he explains.

Dr Trehan, however, maintains that he was not going to quit and no one can stop him from treating his patients.

"I was appointed by the society. My contract was for 20 years. This is why I came from America. I have built this institution at the expense of my own resources and sweat. Now, they are trying to hijack this charity mission for money. Who are they to stop me from treating my patients?" he asks.

Dr Trehan arrived at the hospital on Saturday morning and was still seeing his patients. But he was not allowed to get inside the operation theatre.

Angry patients, whose surgeries were delayed because of the standoff, broke the locks of the operation theatre. But the hospital management called in the police.

"My younger brother is a heart patient. He has to undergo a surgery today. He has not been given any food or water since last night. But no operation has happened till now. When I enquired, they are saying Dr Threhan is not here, his operation is not happening," Jawaharlal, who has come from Jaipur, says.

Like Jawaharlal and his brother, many other patients and their kin had to bear the brunt because of the face-off. There have been delays in the surgeries scheduled under the supervison of Dr Trehan.

The relatives of some patients are now up in arms. On Saturday morning, they even raised slogans against the hospital authorities.

Dinesh, another relative of a patient from Jaipur at the hospital, says the scheduled surgery of his kin has been delayed unnecessarily even though he has already paid the cost. "My brother-in-law has to undergo a bypass surgery and I have paid Rs 3 lakhs. But so far there are no signs of any surgery happening in a day or two," he claimed.

"My husband has an operation today, but nobody is telling me why it is not happening," complained Sudesh, who came to the hospital from Ghaziabad.

Another relation of a heart patient, who came to the hospital from Chandigarh, says without Dr Trehan, Escorts will be just like any other heart institute. “We have come from Chandigarh. My brother in-law has to undergo a surgery. We have come here only because of Dr Trehan. Without him, Escorts would be just like any other heart institute in the country,” he said.

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