NEW DELHI: A defiant Naresh Trehan on Saturday hit back at Escorts' management, which filed a case of vandalism against the cardiologist a day after he was summarily removed, saying the Shivinder Mohan Singh-led firm was commercialising health services even if it meant insulting doctors.
Trehan, who was stopped by security guards from entering Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC) but found his way in with support of patients' relatives, said that the case against him was an act of desperation by the management.
"Vandalism case against me is a desperate move. I didn't touch even a single thing, all that I touched was my patients," said the renowned cardiologist, who owns 10 per
cent stake in EHIRC.
Accusing Fortis, which acquired 90 per cent stake of EHIRC in 2005, of commercialising operations at Escorts, he said: "Heart surgeries at Escorts have gone up to Rs 2.2 lakh from Rs 1.75 lakh two years ago. These corporates are commercialising operations of the institute."
Though Fortis Hospitals MD Shivinder Mohan Singh said that Trehan's administrative powers have been "terminated," the doctor said the management did not have the power to do so and cited the status quo ordered by Delhi High Court in the case related to sale of EHIRC.
"My contract was with EHIRC society for 20 years starting from 1990 up to 2010. As per the HC order on maintaining staus-quo, the Fortis management cannot terminate the contract," Trehan said.
Though Singh said a case had been registered against Trehan for forcing his way into EHIRC, police said they received no such complaint.
When asked about his future course of action, Trehan said: "As a professional, my total responsibility is with patients and I can not abandon them. I'll have to continue to
see my patients and rest would depend on how things develop."
Dismissing allegations that their was a conflict of interest between his Medicity project and Escorts, Trehan said: "Meidicity is at the construction stage and I am not
referring any patients there, nor am I not doing job here."
Fortis had cited conflict of interest between the cardiologist's Medicity project and EHIRC as reason for removing him.
"The whole thing is a case of corporates trying to look down on doctors and patients," he said and accused Fortis of being commercially driven and not taking into consideration the interest of the patients.
Singh said Trehan's right to perform surgeries had been withdrawn since yesterday and the liability of operations that the cardiologist may perform lies with him.
He reiterated that Trehan had been asked to give up his responsibilities as a doctor and administrator at the hospital, which Fortis acquired in 2005 from Rajan Nanda
for Rs 585 crore.
Singh, however, denied any move to buy Trehan's 10 per cent stake in the institution.
"We have not asked for his stake in the hospital. He continues to be an investor with EHIRC," Singh said.
