Bengaluru: ASHA workers hold protests, demand issues to be resolved

Bengaluru: Payment has been made to Asha workers and other staff working in health department. Revision of payment has to be discussed with central government as ASHA workers come under NHM, says Dr K Sudhakar, Minister for Health

On Monday thousands of ASHA workers headed by the All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) affiliated Karnataka Rajya Samyuktha ASHA Karyakarteyara Sangha participated in a statewide online protest for the resolve of their many immediate and burning issues.

They have expressed outrage by displaying placards and posters that carried some of their crucial demands to which the healthcare workers were seeking an immediate resolution from the government/department.

One of the demands is to release Rs. 5000 as Covid Risk Allowance for all ASHA Workers as announced for other frontline warriors across the state. Given that at least 20 to 40 ASHA workers in every district are regularly contracting Covid, they demand a minimum of sum Rs. 25,000 and more wherever required when expenses have crossed this amount as medical compensation for those ASHA workers who have contracted Covid-19.

The demand also includes that the government should ensure sufficient supply of masks, hand sanitizers, gloves and necessary safety equipment for all ASHA workers and frontline warriors across the country.

They also demand the immediate release of two months pending fixed remuneration of Rs. 4,000 for all ASHA workers. During the first Covid wave two ASHA workers had succumbed to the virus. The demand was made to release Rs. 50 lakh insurance compensation for them.

The workers have asked for the provision of a government order copy for tasks designated to ASHA Workers.

From conducting house to house ILI & SRI (Vulnerable survey) surveys, distributing the necessary pills/medicines, distributing Covid kits to patients, bringing covid suspected patients to healthcare centres, regularly conducting house to house health surveys and updating the same to the department, identifying primary-secondary contacts, etc, ASHA workers are deployed in several other works apart from their designated tasks too.

On many instances cases ASHA workers are being compelled to work in shifts at various vaccination centres, are told to take swab tests of covid suspected patients; and upon failing to oblige to a certain task, are told to quit their job thus managing their tasks under tiring conditions.

"The AIUTUC affiliated Karnataka Rajya Samyuktha ASHA Karyakarteyara Sangha hereby strongly appeals to the state government to kindly pay the much-needed attention to woes of the frontline warriors in ASHA workers and immediately resolve the above problems of the ASHA workers.

Though thousands have lost their lives, lakhs are suffering, and reeling under this dreadful pandemic amid such precarious condition, the ASHA workers are risking their own lives and the life of their dear ones to serve the people around them with an absolute selfless and motherly approach. Such workers are to be treated with utmost respect and concern which the Union intends to bring to the attention of the state government," said Hanumesh on behalf of the Union.