Latest news with #AccreditedSocialHealthActivists
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Will you use your own brain too': Tejashwi's jibe after Nitish hikes pay of ASHA and Mamta workers
The Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance government has announced an increase in the honorarium for ASHA and Mamta workers in the state, prompting Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav to seek credit for the move. In a post on X Wednesday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that honorarium of ASHA, or Accredited Social Health Activists, workers was being tripled to Rs 3,000 crore and that of Mamta workers was going to be doubled to Rs 600 for every child they help deliver. 'Since the formation of the government in November 2005, we have worked on a large scale to improve healthcare services… In recognition of the significant contribution of ASHA and Mamta workers in strengthening healthcare services in rural areas, it has been decided to increase their honorarium amount.' While ASHA, or Accredited Social Health Activists, are community health workers in rural India. Under the National Rural Health Mission, they are seen as bridge between the community and the public health system. Mamata workers, on the other hand, are contractual health workers in maternity wards of government hospitals that are meant to care for newborns and their mothers. Both are crucial links in the rural healthcare chain. ASHA workers currently get Rs 1,000 while Mamta workers Rs 300/child. The decision comes months ahead of the assembly polls and follows a series of recent welfare measures by the Nitish cabinet, from infrastructure and employment to education and healthcare. These include the promise of one crore jobs over the next 5 years, the development of the Maa Janki temple in Sitamarhi, increasing social welfare pensions, reservation for women in state government jobs and free electricity up to 125 units. Soon after Wednesday's announcement, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Bihar's former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav accused his former ally Nitish of 'repackaging and claiming credit' for initiatives introduced during his tenure. In a post on X, Yadav said: 'In my 17-month tenure as Health Minister, I had initiated the process of increasing the incentive amount for ASHA and Mamta workers which had reached its final stage, but the government and the Chief Minister habitually backtracked. This incompetent NDA government then sat on it for two years. Finally… they had to bow to our demand'. Yadav further criticised the government for what he called a partial implementation of the proposal. 'Here, the government has cleverly not implemented our demand in full. They (ASHA and Mamta workers) deserve honorarium, not just incentives. We will provide them with an honorarium,' he said. The Nitish-led NDA government will now be compelled to increase the honorarium of Anganwadi workers, helpers, and cooks too, he said. He then went on to say: 'It feels good to see how this imitation-prone, exhausted, visionless government is now visibly rattled by our demands, promises, and intent. The same government and ministers, leaders, and officials who once mocked our announcements are now scrambling as they see power slipping from their hands. Sab kuch Tejashwi ka hi nakal karoge ya apni bhi akal lagaoge (Will you copy everything from Tejashwi, or will you use your own brain too)?'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
ASHAs to continue stir till demands met
T'puram: While the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) have welcomed the Centre's decision to raise their monthly incentive to Rs 3,500, they said they will continue their ongoing strike until the state govt increases their honorarium. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With their strike completing 169 days on Saturday, ASHAs said they wanted the state govt to increase its share correspondingly. The state govt stated that they have increased their share of the honorarium to the maximum and have set up a committee to study the problems faced by the health workers under National Health Mission. On Saturday, the ASHAs remained at their protest location in front of the Secretariat. Their leader Mini S said the protest would continue until the state govt increases its share. The state share is Rs 7,000. After the increase by Centre, ASHAs will now receive Rs 15,000 as honorarium. However, many other states, including Maharashtra, are giving Rs 10,000 as their share, she added. BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, meanwhile, said the central govt has kept its promise and the state should promptly increase the wages of ASHAs. The central govt has reiterated in Parliament that decisions on administrative and human resource issues, including those of ASHAs in the health sector, should be made by the respective state govts, he added. The central govt is providing all possible benefits for ASHAs, recognising them as frontline warriors in the health sector, Chandrasekhar said. tnn
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Month-long drive to give 2.6cr UP kids vitamin A supplement kicks off
Lucknow: To protect children from malnutrition and preventable eye-related disorders, the state health and family welfare department launched a month-long vitamin A supplementation campaign on Thursday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The campaign, which will run until August 9, will cover over 2.6 crore children aged nine months to five years. "The primary goal of the campaign is to reduce illnesses caused by Vitamin A deficiency, such as night blindness, weakened immunity, and malnutrition. Improving child health and reducing child mortality remain key govt priorities," said Dr Ajay Gupta, state immunization officer. Adding that the campaign is conducted twice a year, and the current round marks the first phase for the financial year 2025–26, general manager, routine immunisation, national health mission, Dr Manoj Kumar Shukla, said, "Sustained efforts over the past few years on the count have led to a drastic improvement in vitamin A coverage. Compared to 44% of children who received vitamin A during NFHS-4, over 74% of children in the same age bracket took Vitamin A when it was measured at the time of NFHS-5, which was also better than the national average of 71.2%. " He also said that in the last phase of this campaign, 93.54% of the targeted children received the vitamin A dose. The improvement may also be linked to special training provided to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Anganwadi workers to ensure smooth and effective implementation. An additional round of measles and rubella vaccine would also commence along with this round, said Dr Gupta, while appealing to parents of children who could have missed their vaccine to get the MR 1 or MR 2 shots.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Workers join stir in Haryana, Delhi
DELHI/GURUGRAM Government employees, industrial and scheme workers, construction labourers, and farmers gathered under their respective banners and flags across Haryana on Wednesday, holding public meetings and protest marches in response to a 'Bharat Bandh' call by central trade unions in support of their 17-point charter of demands. A key highlight of the protests was the overwhelming participation of women scheme workers – mid-day meal workers, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), and anganwadi workers – who reiterated their long-standing demands for regular jobs for regular work and equal pay for equal work. Industrial workers, those in the unorganised sector, government employees and farmers also took part in the State-wide protests to express their opposition to the four 'pro-corporate' labour codes introduced by the Centre. Haryana Roadways buses remained off several routes, and employees from the public health, revenue, and electricity departments, along with non-teaching university staff, observed the strike and stayed away from work. Constituents of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) also joined the protests in solidarity with the workers' demand to withdraw the labour codes, while raising their own issues, including guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), opposition to tariff deductions on dairy and farm products under U.S. pressure, and resistance to power sector privatisation. Trade union and farmer leaders said the massive turnout was a clear sign of public rejection of what they called the 'anti-people' policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at both the Centre and in the State. They accused the government of ignoring people's hardships while blindly pursuing privatisation and simultaneously trying to divide society along communal and caste lines. Speaking at separate meetings in Rohtak and Nuh, All India Kisan Sabha national vice-president Inderjit Singh and trade union leader Jai Bhagwan said the scale of the strike should serve as a wake-up call for the government to withdraw the 'draconian' labour codes without delay. They called on protesters to further strengthen their unity, involve more sections of society affected by rising prices and unemployment, and prepare for larger mobilisations in the future. The All India Central Council of Trade Unions said that workers in Delhi, who are bearing the brunt of inflation, unemployment, and displacement, took out a morning procession and made every effort to ensure the success of the strike. According to a statement issued by the union, workers participated in the marches across several industrial areas of Delhi, including Wazirpur, Narela, Jahangirpuri, Okhla, Jhilmil, and Mayapuri. 'The July 9 strike stands as a symbol of the unique unity between farmers and workers. From agricultural labourers to employees in banks and insurance sectors, everyone joined the strike,' the statement said. In Gurugram, protesters marched from Kamla Nehru Park to the post office near New Railway Road, raising slogans in support of their demands. Addressing the gathering, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Haryana vice-president Satbir Singh condemned what he described as the Centre's 'anti-worker' and 'anti-employee' policies. 'Minimum wages should be increased, all vacancies in government departments must be filled immediately, and anganwadi, ASHA, and mid-day meal workers should be granted employee status. The demands of construction workers and retired employees must also be addressed,' Mr. Singh said. Several automotive workers' unions extended support to the Bharat Bandh and its demands, though they did not participate in the strike, with business continuing as usual in the Gurugram-Manesar-Rewari automotive belt.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Govt to start AI-driven maternal, child health monitoring systems in Rayagada
1 2 Koraput: In a first-of-its-kind initiative for tribal Odisha, the state govt is set to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven maternal and child health monitoring systems in Rayagada district. The pilot project is aimed at reducing the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) in one of the state's most vulnerable regions. According to officials in the health and family welfare department, the pilot will deploy AI-based diagnostic kits to monitor the health of pregnant women throughout the gestation period. These kits, already cleared after successful trials, will be used by frontline healthcare workers to detect early signs of complications ensuring timely intervention and improved health outcomes. Rayagada has historically faced challenges in maternal and child healthcare due to its difficult terrain and poor connectivity. "By bringing AI into the fold, we aim to bridge the gap between rural patients and quality healthcare," said a senior health department official involved in the project. The AI-enabled system is designed to track the physical and cognitive development of the foetus from the earliest stages. The kits will also enable real-time screening and generate instant health reports, which can be shared remotely with doctors for expert consultation. Prafulla Padhi, a senior gynaecologist at Rayagada district headquarters hospital, said, "We have come to know about the government's plan to launch AI tools in the district, although formal instructions are yet to be received. It's a welcome step that can help us detect risks early and reduce complications during delivery." The initiative plans to equip Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and other field workers with smartphones and training. They will be taught to operate the AI kits, collect health data, and upload it to a centralised software system. The system will then analyse the data using machine learning algorithms and provide personalised health assessments for each pregnant woman. Officials said the AI kits are designed to be user-friendly and can be operated by health workers with minimal training. The goal is to empower the ground-level teams with smart tools that improve efficiency and coverage. "Technology can be a game-changer for inclusive healthcare. With the help of the AI kit, more patients can be treated in less time, and those in serious condition can receive immediate medical attention," said PK Mishra, additional district medical and public health officer, Rayagada. As per SRS MMR bulletin-2018-20, Odisha MMR now stands at 119. (deaths per one lakh mothers). Odisha's IMR is 36 (deaths per 1000 births). According to health department data, Rayagada's MMR is 170 and IMR 33.
