Karnataka association hands mobile phone to Golur Haadi ASHA worker

Mysuru: Responding to the experiential DH Saturday story (dated March 16), on ASHA workers, after visiting two tribal hamlets and an urban slum, President of Negilayogi Mahileyara Kshemabhivrudhdhi Sangha (R) of Mysuru J Shobha Ramesh presented a mobile phone to ASHA worker Susheela Sannappa, here on Friday.

Susheela is the resident of Golur Haadi, a tribal hamlet within the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in H D Kote taluk of Mysuru district, where there is no individual household water connection, electricity or toilet yet. She serves as an ASHA worker at Balle and Golur tribal hamlets, under D B Kuppe PHC (Primary Health Centre).

Even though ASHA workers get a Rs 5,000 honorarium per month from the State, in order to get incentives up to Rs 7,000 from the Central Government, they have to enter data on the ASHA Soft mobile app.

Since Susheela did not have a proper phone, she had difficulty entering data on the app. Also, since the post of staff nurse at D B Kuppe PHC remained vacant (who was supposed to upload data on the computer), Susheela had difficulty getting her incentives, despite all her hard work.

When DH highlighted this, in order to help Susheela get her incentives, Shobha presented the mobile phone at the International Women's Day event organised by NMKS.

All 41,165 ASHA workers in the State have demanded the Government increase their honorarium from Rs 5,000 (to avoid issues related to incentives); and provide mobiles with internet to upload data, as they face issues in getting incentives; and vehicles to reach remote places in case of emergencies.

Health minister and officials have assured arrangements are being made to provide ASHA workers with mobile phones.

While the article also threw light on ground realities in the D B Kuppe PHC (Primary Health Centre), Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Principal Secretary of Health T K Anil Kumar, State Health Commissioner D Randeep, Mission Director of National Health Mission Dr Y Naveen Bhat responded by providing an ambulance to the PHC and releasing the salary of Rs 3,72,050 to contract Medical Officer Dr K Varsha, which had been pending since August 2023.

Measures are also being taken to fill vacant posts of nurses and three ASHA workers of the PHC; the vacant post of one lab technician, one pharmacist, and three PHCOs (Public Health Care Officers-Nurses).

Acting on the minister and officials' orders, Mysuru DHO P C Kumaraswamy and H D Kote THO Dr Ravi Kumar also visited the PHC to ensure things were in order.

State ASHA co-ordinator Girish also visited Golur and met Susheela, held a meeting of ASHAs workers at the D B Kuppe PHC and discussed the problems they faced.