Asha workers call off stir as Vij hikes their honorarium

CHANDIGARH: With Haryana health minister Anil Vij announcing to increase Asha (accredited social health activist) workers’ monthly honorarium to Rs 4,000 without any conditions, protesting workers have called off their strike.

The increased honorarium will be applicable from January 2018 onwards.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Vij with Asha workers’ union here on Friday. There are about 19,800 Asha workers in the state who have been on a strike since June 7.

Earlier, the honorarium was Rs 1,000 but it was hiked to Rs 4,000 a few months ago, but subject to certain conditions pertaining to mandatory incentivebased services.

Vij said that their performance would be appraised on annual basis to ensure functionality of each Asha worker.

The minister said that it was also decided to increase performance-based incentives for five activities. The present incentives of Rs 300 and Rs 200 being given for institutional delivery would be increased to Rs 400 and Rs 300, respectively. Similarly, the present incentive of Rs 150 for routine immunisation would be increased to Rs 250, that of ante-natal care from Rs 250 to Rs 350, home-based post-natal care (HBPNC) from Rs 250 to Rs 350 and family planning/spacing from Rs 500 to Rs 550.

He said that services of all Asha facilitators would also be continued. The existing additional 50% incentive on monthly National Health Mission (NHM) earning would continue as earlier.

Ex-gratia grant would be provided to the family of deceased Asha workers on the pattern of auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs). Weightage would be given to eligible Asha workers in the appointments and engagement of regular and contractual multi-purpose health worker (female) and staff nurses.

He said that android phone for Asha workers had also been proposed in 2018-19 for approval of the central government.