Tirupati: Intensifying their two week-long stirs, the community health officers staged a dharna at district collectorate here on Monday to press the government concede their demands.

The CHOs (Community Health officers) under the banner of Andhra Pradesh Mid-Level Health Providers/Community Health Officers Association (APMCA) to achieve their eight demands. The demands include regularisation of CHOs who have completed 6 years of service, 23 percent hike in the wages on par with employees of National Health Mission (NHM) restoration of EPFO, incentives based on performance and other demands the APMCA leaders including district president Sumanth, vice-president Mary Krupavati said the CHOs have been playing a vital role in improving the medical and health care in rural areas but the government neglecting them despites their good services. They urged CM Chandra Babu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and Minister Nara Lokesh to intervene to do justice to the CHOs by accepting their genuine demands.

CITU senior leader Kandarapu Murali in a statement urged the government to consider the demands of CHOs which are just and keeping in the CHOs services in villages.