Patna: Auxiliary nurse and midwives (ANM) on Thursday demonstrated outside the Patna civil surgeon's office against the lathicharge on them.

The health workers had gathered under the banner of Bihar Medical & Public Health Employees Association. Its chairperson, Arun Kumar Ojha, said some of the ANMs were severely injured in the incident. "The ANMs were lathi-charged when they were on strike. They were on indefinite strike since November 3 in demand of equal pay for equal work and regularization of services. Thursday's protest was organised to condemn the action and also to help them get their due - regularisation of services," said Ojha.

"The Jharkhand government has recently regularised the services of ANMs who are working for last three-four years. We demand similar initiative for the ANMs here who have been working for three-four years. Their service should be regularised without any further interviews," Ojha demanded.

Apart from the ANMs, lab technicians, general nurse and midwives, and Ayush doctors among others - working under the National Health Mission - had gone on strike. The government later decided to increase salary of those contract workers who were working for last three to five years by 10-15 per cent.