Escorts Management, Trehan agree for out of court settlement

New Delhi, May 24 (UNI) Putting an end to their long impasse, Fortis-owned Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC) and cardiologist Naresh Trehan have agreed to an out of court settlement and sort out their differences.

''The two parties are working towards mutually agreed out of court settlement of their differences,'' said a Fortis management statement.

The details of the settlement plan are being worked out and will be made public soon.

When contacted, the Head of Operations Escorts and Fortis CEO Daljit Singh refused to comment on the details of the settlement plan.

Earlier today, the Delhi High Court adjourned till May 29 hearing on a writ petition seeking appointment of a doctors'committee to run the Escorts and the court asked the hospital management and doctors to settle the issue amicably in the better interests of the patients.

On the other hand, the doctors' association said negotiations with the management on the issue were on and that it needed some time to settle the matter.

The writ in the High Court was filed yesterday by a group of doctors after the management suspended the cardiologist as Executive Director of the Escorts Hospital on May 18.

On May 19, the court had permitted Dr Trehan to treat patients and have unrestricted entry to the hospital A group of 10-12 doctors from Escorts have also filed a petition in the High Court, saying that Dr Trehan should be allowed to continue as Executive Director of the hospital.

On May 22, the Escorts management registered a case of ''trespassing'' and ''vandalism'' against the eminent doctor and his staff.

The FIR named Dr Trehan's administrative staff Jugal Sharma and K S Sehgal, who were recently sacked, and Anil Khoobchandani, former legal advisor, who had quit the hospital two months ago.

On May 18, the hospital management, under instructions from Fortis Healthcare, which owns 90 per cent of stake in Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC), removed Dr Trehan and his support staff citing "conflict of interest".

Dr Trehan, who is 10 per cent stake holder in Escorts, said the move of the management to stop him or his staff from entering the hospital was against the high court judgement that allowed him unrestricted access.

Mr Shivinder Mohan Singh, managing director, Escorts and Fortis Healthcare, said,''Over the past 18 months, Dr Trehan has been increasingly focussed on the Rs 1000 crore Medicity project at Gurgaon. It was a clear case of conflict of interest as he continued to concentrate more on his personal project.'' UNI NR PK GC1835