Noted cardiologist Naresh Trehan and his core team, which quit Escorts Heart Institute on a bitter note, on Monday joined Apollo Hospital as a senior consultant.

Trehan said his team comprising anaesthesist Yatin Mehta, interventional cardiologist R R Kasliwal and a group of about 40 doctors and about 100 support staff joined Apollo.

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However, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre chief executive officer and managing director Shivinder Mohan Singh said, "About 40-50 staffers, half of them doctors, had put in their papers."

"We are very happy to be at Apollo. We are here to stay and we look forward to a long-term relationship," Trehan said.

He also dismissed suggestions that his association with Apollo was only a stop-gap arrangement till his pet Medicity project is realised.

The renowned cardiologist had quit as executive director of Escorts last week after a bitter war of words with Singh, who had sacked him on May 18.

The two sides fought it out in the Escorts premises, where Trehan had a forced entry, and even moved court before agreeing on an out-of-court settlement.

A total of ten patients have been registered under Trehan, who will perform his first surgery on Wednesday.

A number of Trehan's high-profile patients are also expected to follow him to Apollo. Escorts CEO also admitted this at a press conference. "Some patients may follow him. It may happen," Singh said.