ALAPPUZHA: Family health programmes of the state government have come to a standstill in local bodies here with Accredited Social Health Activists (Asha) quitting their jobs. According to the National Rural Health Mission’s district unit, at least 300 Asha workers had quit their job in Alappuzha due to various reasons.
“Asha workers were active in the pain and palliative care units of our panchayat. They visited the houses of bed ridden patients once every week. The workers provided medicines, medical equipment and care to the patients. However, a majority of them are not willing to work now and are involved in other activities that help them earn money. This has affected the services of the pain and palliative care unit,” said Muhamma grama panchayat member M S Latha.
According to the workers at Asha, they have not been getting their honorarium since March 2012.
“One Asha worker is supposed to take care of the needs of nearly 1,000 people in her ward. They have to counsel women on preparing for birth, importance of safe delivery, breast-feeding, complementary feeding, immunization, contraception, prevention of common infections including Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and caring for the young child. However, all these activities by Asha workers have come to a halt in our panchayat,” said Latha.
Leena Shaji, an Asha activist from Cherthala, said it is the duty of Asha to provide better health services to deprived sections of the population. “When a woman comes to our ward after her marriage, we have to visit her home once every month and take care of all her needs right from her pregnancy period. We have to continue doing this till her child reaches the age of five. Now MGNREGA workers get a decent income, but we have been working without any pay for the past one year. So I am planning to quit this job,” she said.
On Friday, hundreds of Asha workers staged a blockade in front of the collectorate, demanding that the state government should clear the pending payment without further delay.
District panchayat president Pratibha Hari said many Asha workers meet her daily to share their woes. However, the panchayat is unable to help because they work under NRHM,” said Pratibha.
“We had deployed 2,300 Asha workers in the district but almost 300 workers have quit their job. Alternative arrangements have been made. The honorarium for the previous fiscal was Rs 500 per month. The NRHM had cleared all dues for the last fiscal. This year, the honorarium has been raised to Rs 600 per month. We hope the NRHM would allot funds for clearing all dues by this month, ” said NRHM district programme manager L Manoj.
