At the forefront of India’s healthcare system, ASHA workers soldier on — unprotected and poorly paid https://www.thehindu.com/society/at-the-forefront-of-indias-healthcare-system-asha-workers-soldier-on-unprotected-and-poorly-paid/article31979010.ece
For every health scheme launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it is women like Anita who step in to implement it at the grassroots level. From distributing iron tablets to checking on immunisation schedules of babies and pregnant women to carrying out periodic checks on TB patients, Anita’s job has expanded now to watching out for signs of COVID-19 and counselling people. She also keeps an eye on migrant workers who have returned after their livelihoods evaporated overnight. She ensures they are observing their quarantine period in the designated centres. Besides all this, she also disseminates pandemic precaution tips to her flock.
At the forefront of India’s healthcare system, which is now creaking under the weight of the pandemic, are nine lakh ASHA workers like Anita who are soldiering on — unarmed, unprotected and poorly paid. Their job is thankless.
For every health scheme launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it is women like Anita who step in to implement it at the grassroots level. From distributing iron tablets to checking on immunisation schedules of babies and pregnant women to carrying out periodic checks on TB patients, Anita’s job has expanded now to watching out for signs of COVID-19 and counselling people. She also keeps an eye on migrant workers who have returned after their livelihoods evaporated overnight. She ensures they are observing their quarantine period in the designated centres. Besides all this, she also disseminates pandemic precaution tips to her flock.
At the forefront of India’s healthcare system, which is now creaking under the weight of the pandemic, are nine lakh ASHA workers like Anita who are soldiering on — unarmed, unprotected and poorly paid. Their job is thankless.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-poorly-paid-asha-workers-to-protest/articleshow/82813843.cms “In the second wave, ASHA workers are put on 24 hours’ duty almost, without leave. They are told to conduct surveys, report cases, get medical help to the infected, monitor patients, follow up with recovered ones and so on. This is in addition to the vaccination duties for almost 8-9 hours a day,..ASHAs have been doing co-morbidity surveys since last year..We demand that the government pay Rs 300 per day..
Behind India’s coronavirus vaccine plan is an army of poorly paid female health workers https://qz.com/india/1957664/asha-workers-midwives-key-for-indias-coronavirus-vaccine-plan/
Under the NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) which was launched in 2005, the government of India recruited ASHA workers to connect the marginalised communities to health care. Approximately 9,00,000 ASHA workers in India, who act as a bridge between the government and people due to a human resource shortage in the health system, are working “for the nation” in these challenging times. Due to the dynamics associated with their job, they are playing multiple roles – of health care facilitators, health activists and service providers – putting their lives at risk. https://thewire.in/rights/asha-workers-coronavirus