The Directorate of Medical Education terminated the services of 29 contract employees of Ernakulam Government Medical College (GMC) on Sunday (November 1), leaving their families in the lurch. The employees, aged 60 and above, were asked to discontinue service from November. They alleged that they had been treated unfairly and their services terminated without proper notice.

Those whose services were terminated include nursing assistants, pharmacists and last-grade workers who had been working there since the State government took over the cooperative medical college in 2013. In 2016, the government created 315 posts to accommodate such employees. These employees had been working continuously since 2013 without a break in service. In 2026, the LDF government decided to regularise 214 contract and daily-wage employees working at the GMC, according to trade union leaders.

“Though we know that we have to discontinue service after attaining the age of 60, we should have been given proper notice. Instead, we were informed at the last moment,” said 63-year-old Salomi Baby, a native of Kothamangalam.

Harikumar A.N., a 64-year-old pharmacist whose services were also terminated, echoed her concerns. “Most people didn’t even know their services had been terminated. The order was circulated on Saturday (October 31), and everyone was asked to stop coming to work from Monday. We do not even know whether we will get the benefits due to us,” said Mr. Harikumar.

According to GMC sources, the employees had crossed the age of 60 and were ineligible to continue in service. “The decision had been communicated to them earlier as well. The staff whose services were terminated will receive pension benefits from 2016 and service seniority and benefits from 2024. They will receive these benefits when the remaining contractual employees receive the benefits after the integration process,” they said.

Meanwhile, P.M. Mujeeb Rahman, district joint secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, alleged that the move to terminate employees without recruiting enough staff could affect the GMC’s functioning. “The sudden termination without proper notice has affected the morale of the employees. It has also reduced the staff strength, severely affecting the hospital’s functioning. This even raises questions about any move to privatise the hospital,” said Mr. Rahman.