Patna: Around 400 regular and contract employees in government health facilities staged a protest at Gardanibagh here on Monday for salary of the past five months among other demands.

The employees, including auxiliary nurse midwives, pharmacists, operating theatre technicians, medical assistants and other Grade III and IV staff, gathered under the banner of Bihar Medical & Public Health Employees Association. They also protested against mass transfer of auxiliary nurse midwives, clerks and other employees.

Bindu Kumari, an auxiliary nurse midwife from Samastipur, said she has not received her salary for the last five months but has been issued a transfer order.

Arun Kumar Ojha, the state president of the employees association, said orders for mass transfer of Grade III and IV employees in Chhapra and Begusarai were issued after Lokayukt of the districts concerned found one employee in both districts guilty in a case.

Adequate tutors in general nurse midwife schools and regularisation of services of contract health employees were among the other demands of the health workers. "The government had earlier promised to regularise services but that has not yet been implemented. X-ray technicians and other paramedic staff have not been appointed as well," added Ojha.