ASHA to strike during pulse polio prog

The  Joint Action Committee members consisting of ASHA workers and facilitators addressing a news conference on Wednesday
The Joint Action Committee members consisting of ASHA workers and facilitators addressing a news conference on Wednesday

SHILLONG, JAN 14: The upcoming 2015-pulse polio immunization programme is likely to get affected with over 4000 odd Asha workers and facilitators from across the state o Wednesday deciding to call for a three-day ‘strike’ from January 19 to 21 to protest against the government’s nonchalant attitude towards their demands.

The decision was taken under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee of Asha Facilitators and Asha Workers (JAC-AFAW) in a meeting held on January 13.

Earlier, the state health department through its District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs) of different districts in the state fixed January 19 as the date for pulse polio immunization for children below the age of 5 years across the state.

This was supposed to be followed by a house to house search and coverage activity on January 20 and 21. The Asha workers and facilitators have been designated as volunteers to assist the health department in the implementation of such programme.

“We have decided not to participate in the upcoming polio immunization programme of the government by staging a three-day ‘strike’, as a mark of protest against its failure to address the many grievances faced by us,”  JAC president Haphilin Pyrtuh told newsmen at a press conference on Wednesday.

Pyrtuh informed that the JAC had submitted memorandums to the state government which include the Health Minister, Chief Secretary, DMHO and the Director of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on several occasions in the past two years since 2013.

“However, the government had failed to respond to our representations and instead choose to turn a deaf ear, which has disappointed the ASHA workers and facilitators,” Pyrtuh said.  According to her, the demands put by them include – the enhancement of the wages, fixed honorarium and clearing the pending dues of the ASHA for the direct observation treatment (DOT) of TB patients.

“We demand the government to increase our wages from Rs 75 to Rs 150 per day in relation to the polio campaign,” Pyrtuh said while pointing that at present a total amount of Rs 900 was sanctioned by the government per polio booth.

Ironically, a booth which has about four to six ASHA have to divide the Rs 900 among themselves, Pyrtuh said adding “When calculated, one member out of four will get only Rs 75 each, one out of five will get only Rs 60 and one out of six will get only a meager of Rs 50.”

“We felt that minimum wage fixed by the government is totally ‘unreasonable’ as the ASHA  has to work since 8am to 4pm during the three day polio immunization campaign,” Pyrtuh  added. She informed that they also had demanded that the fixed honorarium should be raised to Rs 1000 per month with effect from 2011.

According to Pyrtuh, the honorarium which was given for the visit conducted by ASHA was recently done away by the government and instead Rs 250 per visit was given as travelling allowances (TA).

ASHA also expressed concern over the non-uniformity in the payment of wages and honorarium in the different districts.

“There is vast different in the payment of wages and honorarium,” the general secretary Sony Kharjana said while pointing out that while in Ri Bhoi District, the ASHA are getting Rs 4020, but  only Rs 3280 was given to the ASHA in East Khasi Hills District.

Kharjana further informed that the government has also delayed in clearing the DOT to the Asha. According to her, under the DOT, an ASHA  has to give medicine to a TB patient for six months. “But, even after attending to the patient who recovers, the government takes years to clear the payment for the services rendered by the ASHA,” she said.

Kharjana however said, what is more ironic is the fact that the ASHA will not get paid if a patient is not cure after giving him the medicine adding her time becomes a total waste.

ASHA further reminded the health minister AL Hek, who during the ASHA Diwas held on August last year, admitted that it is difficult for the health department to function without the assistance from the ASHA workers.

“The minister had promised that he would take up our issues with the authorities in Delhi to the extent of giving fixed salary to all the ASHA in view of their contributions,” Kharjana reminded.- By Our Reporter

 

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