Shillong: Expressing concern over the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) having embarked on a period of ‘rest from work’, the Meghalaya government said it has released Rs 34.50 crore in the last 18 months for them through the ‘ASHA First’ application for seamless payment.
The ASHAs have resorted to agitation by taking rest at home till the state government fulfills their long-pending demands, including the enhancement of their monthly honorarium.
However, Joint Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, T.G. Momin, said over the past few years, the department has taken up the concerns and issues raised by ASHA workers with the utmost sincerity and dedication.
“It should be noted that, on average, well-performing ASHAs can even receive incentives ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 per month. Since its launch in October 2022, the Health Department has been consistent in disbursing payments, showcasing a commitment to timely and efficient compensation for the invaluable services provided by ASHA workers,” Momin said.
“Pending payments for the Meghalaya Maternity Benefit Scheme (MMBS) and Meghalaya ASHA Benefit Scheme (MABS), amounting to Rs 53 crore, which were pending since 2013, have been released across the state during the 2021–2022 fiscal, marking a significant milestone,” he said, adding that the state government is providing a fixed incentive of Rs 2000 per month to all ASHAs under the State Scheme, recognising the diverse challenges faced by them.
“This inclusive approach ensures that even ASHAs covering small villages with limited populations receive reasonable financial incentives. Today, many ASHAs receive their payments, even on a weekly basis, upon raising claims through the app,” he added.
Noting that ASHAs are integral to the delivery of essential healthcare services, Momin said any disruption in their services can have severe consequences for the health and well-being of the community.
“The recurrent threats of service suspension and strikes by the ASHA workers’ union reflect negatively on the spirit of volunteerism and disrupt community health services,” Momin said, even as he pointed out that disruptions, particularly during agitation periods, have led to untoward incidents, including a case of maternal death in Ri-Bhoi District during 2022.
“Such disruptions in essential health services are inadmissible and can have severe consequences for the communities at large,” the health official asserted.
Underscoring the vital importance of sustained cooperation between ASHAs and health systems, the health department urged ASHA workers to sustain their vital services to our communities without interruption.
“The government remains firmly dedicated to the well-being of its frontline healthcare workers and anticipates a pragmatic approach from all of them, acknowledging that meaningful systemic reforms require time and thoughtful deliberation for achieving a shared vision of a healthy community and the State at large,” Momin said.
Further, the department said under the National Health Mission, “ASHAs are envisaged to be community health volunteers and are entitled to task- and activity-based incentives”.
In line with this, and in order to ensure that the health services remain undisrupted, the state government is also requesting the Village Health Councils (VHCs) to identify suitable community volunteers (who could even be VHC members) who would be interested in volunteering for health facilitating services. VHCs are also requested to engage their members in facilitating basic health services like connecting high-risk pregnant women to health facilities, ensuring support for immunisation services during VHNDs in coordination with the Anganwadi workers, and referring medical cases to ANMs and MOs, among other basic responsibilities, so as to ensure that health services to the public remain undisrupted,” Momin said.
Stating that in areas that are challenging to access, the state government is also entrusting (VHCs to bring in trained community nurses (if available), who can offer valuable nursing skills to the community, the department said that the proposal for this transition is already underway.
