ASHA workers.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The Health department has relieved contract nurses under the National Health Mission (NHM) from their role as ASHA mentors and district or block community
mobilizers.
In 2007-08, contract nursing staff under the NHM were also given the responsibility as trainers of newly-appointed ASHAs, and their roles were renamed as District Community Mobilizers or Block Community Mobilizers. There are 195 ASHA mentors in Karnataka currently, and they have the responsibility of supervising the tasks of the ASHAs, training them, managing the ASHA Nidhi portal and ASHAs’ incentives.
Now, it has been decided that the role of an ASHA mentor is unnecessary as trained Lady Health Visitors and Senior Health Inspectors at the PHC and taluk levels, and the District Nodal Officers at the district level can take up these tasks instead.
Therefore, a GO dated June 12 said that the 195 ASHA mentors, working as contract NHM employees, have been relieved of their duties. They might be considered to be posted in vacant contract-based nurse posts across districts.