MORANG: The women health volunteers, who have been providing medical service in rural areas for years, have accused the government of being apathetic to address their problems.

Sushila Acharya, who has been working as a health volunteer in Morang's Indrapur for the past 26 years, said address of "Nurse" or "Doctor" by local residents alone did not make up for the disappointment caused by years of neglect by the government. "We served the people for so long but many of our friends are dying for want of medical care now. The government never set anything aside for us," she told this scribe.

Many women health volunteers in the Eastern Region have been victims of state apathy. Their continued service to the people is neither an employment for them nor does it give them any future security.

Kamala Adhikari, a volunteer from Indrapur, wondered, "How long can we offer our service for free? Should the government not recognise our contribution?" Stating that the women volunteers had saved the lives of many people in remote areas, she said they had helped reduce the fertility and child mortality rates in the country.

"The joy is momentary," said Ganga Pokharel, a volunteer. "The government should address our demands in order to give us lasting happiness." The volunteers have demanded renaming their post, honouring the service of 50,000 volunteers across the country, free medical service for them, health and life insurance, discount in transport fare and free education to their children, threatening to launch an agitation if the government did not address their concerns.