Karnataka: ASHA workers to boycott their duties as govt. is not meeting their demands

Karnataka: The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), who are playing an important role in the COVID-19 pandemic situations, have decided to boycott work across Karnataka from July 10 due to low wages and the lack of sufficient protective gear. They are demanding the State government to provide them with a monthly wage of Rs 12,000 including their current additional incentives.

ASHA workers in Karnataka have surveyed 1.59 Cr houses in Karnataka. It is estimated that 20 ASHA workers nationwide have lost their lives to COVID-19. Some ASHA workers have also been reportedly abandoned by neighbours and relatives due to the fears that they may have direct contact with COVID-19 affected persons. The 42,000 ASHA workers in Karnataka are certainly one of the most noteworthy assets in the state's battle against COVID-19.

ASHAs were first introduced into India's public healthcare system in 2005. Consequently, it became one of the world's largest community health worker programmes. ASHA workers link their communities with the public health system.

ASHA workers perform vital tasks such as recording data about births, deaths and marriages; providing information about nutrition, sanitation to assisting pregnant women and sick children.

The ASHA workers have been participating in the COVID-19 household surveys and screening inter-state passengers, migrant workers, and others in the community for symptoms of COVID-19. They are even educating people about safeguards against infection, observe quarantined households and trace contacts of infected people. They also aid with testing. They carried out a survey to identify households with senior citizens and people with immunity deficiency. They work with the Rural Task Force spearheaded by a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) at the Gram Panchayat level. It serves to address public grievances associated with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related services. They also distribute food and medicines. In urban areas, they play an eminent role in fever clinics and swab collection centres.

On the issue of ASHA and Anganwadi workers also being discontent, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu requested the workers not to quit service and assured that their demands will be forwarded to the higher authorities.