Mangalore : The   government has been continuously neglecting the problems faced by senior and junior health assistants functioning under the Health Department, alleged   Jayaram Poojari, President of the District branch of the Karnataka State Senior and Junior Health Assistants’ Association.

He was addressing a protest programme organized by the members of the Association in front of the Deputy commissioner’s office in Mangalore on September 14 Friday, in support of several of their longstanding demands which have remained unfulfilled.

Poojari  further said that  the several protests staged by the health assistants earlier have been futile and the government has been apathetic despite the health assistants playing a pivotal role in improving health services in rural areas and also in successful implementation of  health schemes of the government through door-to-door visits in rural areas.

He said a protest had been held once  in the state level in January 2010, but of no avail. Later, in November, 2010 a memorandum had been submitted to the then CM Yeddyurappa seeking steps to at least disburse the salaries of the health assistants before the fifth of every month, he said and added  even that had not yielded any result forcing them to resort to another protest.

The agitators also submitted a memorandum to the government through the DC seeking early solution to their problems.

Bhasker Rao, Treasurer of the Association, SA Rahim,  Secretary, K Mitra and others were present on the occasion.