KOCHI: ASHA workers, who have been working on the frontlines to contain the Covid-19 spread, are also demanding postal ballots to exercise their franchise. With the infection rate among ASHA workers going up, a majority of them will not be able to go for voting.
There are around 27,000 ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers in the state and around 810 of them have tested positive for Covid-19 so far. State joint secretary of ASHA Workers’ Federation Ramani K said the infection rate is spiking among the ASHA workers, who have played a crucial role in the containment efforts and act as a bridge between the healthcare system and those in quarantine and home isolation.
She said in every district, the number of ASHA workers becoming Covid-19 positive is going up. “We are constantly in touch with the high-risk groups and we go into quarantine often. All of us would be able to take part in the election process if there is an arrangement for postal ballots,” said Ramani. She said hundreds of ASHA workers are in quarantine right now.
“We don’t know how many of us will be going into quarantine during elections. Even now, a minimum of 200 ASHA workers are under quarantine. And many ASHA workers are getting infected everyday. Postal ballots are a must as we also have the right to vote,” she said.
The state government has announced Rs 7,500 as honorarium for ASHA workers. However, they are yet to get the entire amount. “Right now, we are getting only Rs 7,000. As per the announcement by the government, we should be getting Rs 500 more which has been pending for several months now,” she added.