ASHA workers see a glimmer of hope

Hyderabad: ,The health department has finally swung into action.

As the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers indefinite strike entered 21st day on Tuesday, the government has decided to hold talks with the leaders of the union to resolve their issues.

According to an official, the government would call the representatives of union for talks on their long-pending demands.

The Asha workers had launched indefinite strike on September 2 demanding the government to fix a minimum salary of Rs15,000 per month instead of performance-based incentives and eight charter of demands.

According to P Jayalakshmi, president Telangana Voluntary and Health Workers(ASHA) Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), overall the strike affected the health services for 20 days. In fact, the rate of immunisation came down to 80 per cent and no family planning camp had been organised during the strike period.

However, the officials of the health department are studying the remuneration of ASHA workers in the other states. The West Bengal government has fixed Rs 1,300 as remuneration, while Kerala gives Rs 1,000.

‘The health department programmes were successful because of ASHA workers. The recently completed Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) to accelerate efforts towards reduction of childhood deaths due to diarrhoea was successful because of committed work by ASHAs,’ opined an official.

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