Kathmandu, January 14

Health Assistant Association Nepal has decided to continue protest programmes after the Ministry of Health and Population failed to address their demands.

Talks held between the committee of the Ministry of Health and Population and HAAN today ended without any conclusion.

Health assistants have been demanding amendment of Employees Adjustment Ordinance without hampering chain of command and hierarchy. They have demanded that seniority should be maintained in the posts of health assistant and auxiliary health worker.

Similarly, health assistants also demanded punishment for the police officer who beat and arrested them while staging a protest programme.

Police had beaten and arrested health assistants yesterday when they were trying to enter the gate of the Ministry of Health and Population.

According to Meghnath Chapagain, vice-president of HAAN, health assistants were not allowed to enter the Ministry of Health and Population. He said, “We protested at Maitighar Mandala for six days after we were not allowed to enter our own ministry. Yesterday, we went to talk with officials of the ministry, but police officers didn’t allow us to enter.”

Chapagain also said police officers started beating up health assistants. “Police arrested 10 health assistants. Anjay Yadav’s — health assistant of Sarlahi — hand was broken,” said Chapagain.  “I am walking with the help of my friends as I received injury on my leg.”

Around 13 health assistant were injured when police roughed them up.