Mahendranagar, May 26:

Sixteeen employees of the Mahendranagar medical college, who had been working in the Mahakali zonal hospital since September 2004, have been fired.

The Global Education Foundation, which runs the college, said six assistant health workers, four assistant nurse midwives, five helpers and a receptionist were given retirement

letters. The staffers, who had not been paid salaries for a long time, were given a lumpsum payment.

As per the retirement letters, their services will be terminated with effect from May 29, 2006. The foundation has given us retirement letters, said receptionist Upendra Bahadur Khadka.

The foundation is learnt to have given retirement letters without consulting the hospital. “The foundation has not written to the hospital about the retirement”, medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Subhesh Raj Kayastha, said, adding, “The retirees themselves informed us about the foundation’s decision”.

“An alternative arrangement should be made for the retirees,” Dr Kayastha said.