Community health workers in Bayelsa state have staged a protest over casualisation of staff in the primary healthcare system in the state.

Among their demands are the employment of 90% of community health workers into the state civil service and that the government to honour the MoU it signed with Global Alliance Vaccine Immunisation to employ them.

Scores of protesters, under the aegis of Association of Community Health Practitioners, Bayelsa Chapter, marched along major streets in Yenagoa, the state capital, carrying placards with various inscriptions demanding an end to casualisation in the state primary health care sector.

The protesters, who have embarked on a indefinite strike action to press home their demands, appealed to Governor Douye Diri to address their plight.

Some of the placards read, “No More Free Services in Bayelsa PHC”, Community Health Workers Are Ready to Immunise, Employ Us”, No More Casual Work, Employ Us Properly”, “ Government Employ Health Practitioners.”

Spokesman of the protesters, Gabriel Akwasa, said many of the protesters have been casual staff for 17 years. (The Nation)