E-Paper
U.P. ASHA workers plan to boycott work over unmet demands
“We will wait until February 20 for a response from the state health department. If our demands are not considered, we shall hold a pen-down strike until our demands are met.”
The office bearers of the Uttar Pradesh ASHA Bahu Kalyan Samiti (UPABKS), the body of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, have written a letter to the chief minister, demanding inclusion in a cadre that would grant them the status of ‘state employees.’
“We don’t have a fixed income but receive honorarium in installments. Despite our hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic, we do not have any health insurance coverage. We demand that ASHA workers be covered under the Ayushman Bharat or CM Jan Arogya scheme,” wrote Seema Singh, UPABKS president, in the letter to the CM.
Saroj, an ASHA worker in Lucknow who also participated in the two-day protest at Eco Garden, said: “We will wait until February 20 for a response from the state health department. If our demands are not considered, we shall hold a pen-down strike until our demands are met.”
ASHA workers are selected from among women in the villages and are responsible for various tasks, including routine immunisation for women and children, maternal and child health referrals and promotion of other national health programmes at the village level. They are also responsible for data collection related to these programmes.
Five demands have been raised from the government to provide financial, health, and social security for ASHA workers. “ASHA workers performed outstandingly during the COVID-19 pandemic as well. However, they are deprived of any health insurance,” said Indu Bala, state vice president of UPABKS.
Uttar Pradesh has over 1.5 lakh ASHA workers. ASHA workers counsel women on birth preparedness, the importance of safe delivery, breastfeeding and complementary feeding, immunisation, contraception, and prevention of common infections, including reproductive tract infection/sexually transmitted infection.
