BENGALURU: After the attack on an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist Group) worker in Bengaluru's Sadik Nagar, the Karnataka State Samyukta ASHA Workers Association has threatened to stop working if the state government doesn't provide them security both in terms of personal protection equipments as well as from people who are attackin them.
"We don't need your claps, we want protection from not just the disease itself but the diseased mindset of people. We are being attacked and other than assurance what are we getting?" asked Rajalakshmi, 34-year-old ASHAa worker from Bengaluru.
She is one of the thousands of community-based health workers belonging to ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) group who are now scared to step out to do their job of not only sensitizing people about COVID-19 but also do the most challenging job of tracing contact history of a cooronavirus positive patient.
Asha workers are a bridge between the community and the public health care system in India and since mid-March all states have deployed them to conduct door to door survey in localities where there are infected or symptomatic covid cases and collect data on people having cold, cough and fever symptoms.
One of the workers on Wednesday, in Bengaluru was heckled up by a group of residents in Sadiq Nagar of Byatarayanapura. Also, stones were pelted at some of the health workers in Indore too. Seeing these incidents, the health workers who are in the frontline are questioning the district administrative to provide security to them.
Speaking to New Indian Express, Rama, State Committee Member of AIUTUC said, "Such incidents certainly demoralise doctors, paramedics, asha workers, and anganwadi workers who’re out there putting their own lives at risk. Government needs to take care of them. The announcement of Rs 50 lakh for the Asha workers will never reach them. Forget that atleast their basics let them pay."
Meanwhile another Asha worker on condition of anonymity said, there is a reason for people also to get angry. She blames the government about not making announcements to inform public that they have to give out information to public health servants who are coming there to collect information.
"April first week was announced as the time to collect NPR details. There was no prior sensitization to public about us coming to collect data from sensitive areas. These are the thnings which government should think about," she explained.
Meanwhile deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayana said, "Measures will be taken to address their issues and we will soon provide enough security and also PPEs for the Asha workers."
Workers have been going against their families and helping people fight against the coronavirus battle and the state government has to ensure that they are atlas provided with proper protection masks and not use and throw masks, explained Rama.
She said that the workers have been told to buy the equipments themselves and will be refunded for the same. However, Rama explained that with these workers are working without even their monthly salary, how could they expect to buy for themselves.