ASHA workers to get timely incentives soon

Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar conducted a meeting with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) representatives on Tuesday.

BENGALURU: Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar conducted a meeting with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) representatives on Tuesday. Delay in data entry with respect to work done by each individual, considered a long standing problem, was raised in the meeting. The delay has been causing reduction in payment of incentives, the workers claimed. There are at least 30,000 ASHA workers in the state who form the backbone of public health programmes. 

As per the Union government’s incentive list, one worker can earn up to `13,000 per month. “In view of the fact that ASHA workers are not getting timely incentives, it was decided in the meeting that an exclusive data entry operator would be appointed at the taluk health office for making the data entries,” Principal Health Secretary Shalini Rajneesh announced.

Another request made was to pay the workers a lumpsum of `5,000 to `6,000 by clubbing various incentives so that a minimum amount can be assured to all the workers. “Eight to nine important areas of activities such as maternal and child health, family planning, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and immunisation were identified to determine the basic slab of earning incentives. Incentives from the State and the Centre will be disbursed at one go,” Shalini said. A system of disincentive for non-performance was also discussed but the workers sought some more time for the move.

In view of the fact that ASHA workers are not getting timely incentives, it was decided in the meeting that an exclusive data entry operator would be appointed at the Taluk health office for making the data entries
Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Health Secy

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