Karnataka: ASHA staff demand pending salaries, threat allowance, correct PPE

Over 42,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA staff) deployed throughout Karnataka, primarily as frontline warriors within the ongoing pandemic Covid-19, have alleged that they haven’t been paid for the final two months.
According to D Nagalakshmi, State secretary of Karnataka Rajya Samyukta ASHA Karyakartheyara Sangha, staff haven’t been paid by the federal government for over two months. “The fixed honorarium of Rs 4,000 which itself is an inadequate amount, has not been paid since March. Soon it will become three months since we got paid apart from false promises announced each time we protest,” she mentioned.
Nagalakshmi added that she had submitted appeals to the State Health Commissioner, Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), and the ASHA Programme officer-in-charge of the state.
The ASHA staff now have demanded the federal government to outline their roles and obligations. (Photo: AIUTUC)
Meanwhile, Fathima, an ASHA employee working for the BBMP, identified the shortage of non-public protecting gear (PPE) kits, gloves, and masks offered to them. “While doctors and other paramedical staff wear PPE kits before interacting with Covid patients, we are not even given proper masks, forget good-quality PPE kits. We are often neglected just like how it was last year as well,” she mentioned.
ASHA staff are deployed to conduct door-to-door surveys of sufferers recognized with Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), to distribute medicines and Covid kits to sufferers, to get folks suspected of an infection to healthcare centres, and to determine main and secondary contacts of every constructive case.

D Umadevi, a employee from Yadgiri, mentioned they have been pressured to do works aside from such designated duties as properly. “We are now also compelled to work in shifts at various vaccination centres, and are told to take swab tests of Covid-suspected patients. At times when we miss additional tasks, we are asked to quit by our higher-ups,” she mentioned.
The ASHA staff now have demanded the federal government to outline their roles and obligations. “We should be provided with a copy of the government order defining our role to avoid unnecessary confusion,” Umadevi added.

At the identical time, Ok Somashekar Yadgiri, State President of the ASHA staff’ union affiliated to the All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) famous a minimum of 20 to 40 staff have been contracting the an infection at frequent intervals in every district. “It is imperative that we are included in the list of frontline warriors identified by the state government to recieve Rs 5000 Covid risk allowance,” he mentioned. He additionally urged the federal government to take steps to make sure Rs 50 lakh insurance coverage compensation to those that have succumbed to the virus since final yr.
Meanwhile, ASHA staff within the state boycotted their duties on Monday to participate in a nationwide on-line protest held by the All India Committee of Scheme Workers’ Federation of India.
In a bid to amplify the calls for made by the employees, Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Kumaraswamy urged the state authorities to resolve all points they confronted in a swift method.

“Hardly 50 per cent of the ASHA workers in the state have received the honorarium in the last three months. As many as 16 workers succumbed to Covid but the government has paid a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to only one while forgetting the others,” Kumaraswamy mentioned.
However, Health and Medical Education Minister Ok Sudhakar claimed the dues of ASHA staff in 17 districts of the state have been already paid. “They (ASHA workers) are usually paid on the first week of every month. We have already paid ASHA workers in 17 districts and shall complete the same in the remaining (13) districts within two days,” he advised reporters in Bengaluru and added, “Issues related to revised payments to them have to be discussed with the central government as they come under NHM.”