Govt to phase out inefficient ASHA workers, seeks report
BARMER: The state government will phase out the 842 Asha(accredited Social Health Activist) also known as ASHASahyogini, workers, after it has been found that the group has been inactive since April this year and has got zero incentive from the health department. A notice in this regard has been issued by the health department to the district officials concerned and a reply has been sought.
The ASHA workers encourage women to go institutional deliveries, bring children to immunisation clinics and also give advise on family planning among other things such as administering first aid and i mproving vi l l age s anitation.the health department provides monthly incentive to these workers for providing health services to citizens on 26 different areas such as maternal health, family welfare, child health, National Health Programmes and meetings.
F o r e x a mpl e , a n ASHA worker gets ~600 as incentive for institutional delivery, ~150 for HIV test of a pregnant woman, ~ 200 for bringing a case of male sterilisation and ~50 for bringing a case of female sterilisation among other health care services. Recently, on October 15, the director RCH (Reproductive and Child Health) had issued a letter to all chief medical and health officers in state stating that 842 ASHA workers have not been given an incentive since April this year and has asked the Chief medical and health officer to submit a report on the matter so t hat action could be t aken against inactive workers.according to ASHA-SOFT, a software for management of ASHA, a total of 842 ASHA workers in the state are inactive and have not got received any incentive since April. Data revealed that Barmer is top on the list where 67 ASHAS are inactive. After Barmer, Naguar is in the second position with 61 ASHA workers. The figures for other places are as follows: 47 ASHA workers in Ajmer and Pali, 41 in Jalore and 39 in Udaipur.
Rakesh Bhati, district ASHA coordinator, Barmer confirmed the report. According to Bhati it is a fact that some of the ASHA workers in the district are inactive but at the same time there are some workers who are on maternity leave due .
“We a r e p r e p a r i n g the detailed report about inactive ASHA workers including those who are on maternal leave and soon it will be sent to higher a ut hori t i e s , said Bhati . ” Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a hike in their monthly wages . Post the announcement, those who drew an honorarium of ~3,000 will now get ~4,500 and those who used to get~ 2,200 will get ~ 3,500.