Second ANMs launch 48-hour Maha dharna.

​Warangal: The second auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), who have been on strike for the past one month, have staged a 48-hour ‘Mahadharna’ here on Wednesday demanding regularisation of their services.

The second ANMs under the banner of Telangana United Medical and Health Employees Union affiliated to CITU staged the protest at the DMHO office in Warangal, seeking the State and Central governments to address their issues.

The protest was launched by the union leader K Yada Naik and CITU leader A Chukkaiah. Led by Rama Devi, Y Jamuna Rani, Manjula and K Sujatha, nearly 1,000 ANMs from the across the district have participated in the mahadharna.

The City Congress working president, Rajanala Srihari extended solidarity to the protesting ANMs and wanted the government to initiate immediate measures to address their demands.

As per the provisions of 10th PRC, the government should offer a minimum wage of Rs 21,300 per month to the ANMs.

The CITU leader, Chukkaiah said the second ANMs, recruited on contact basis more than seven years ago, makes up the majority of the field-level functionaries of the medical and health department.

They ensure effective implementation of immunisation, family planning and other programmes. Yet the government was not caring to fulfill their genuine demands, he lamented.

The ANMs should be given 35 days casual leaves and 180 days paid maternity leaves, besides uniform allowances and others.

The women staff should not be asked to attend night duties, he added. Rama Devi and others wanted social security benefits extended to the ANMs and expressed serious concern over the government’s negligence towards their strike even though they were engaged in crucial tasks in the medical and health department.

If the government failed to respond at the earliest, the agitation would be intensified, they warned.