ASHA workers demand pending salaries, benefits

Minu Sharma is an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) working in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, who has not received one year's salary. She has come to Delhi to seek help from the government.

“It has been a year and the district chief medical officer has not given salaries to any of the ASHA workers. I am supposed to get a salary of Rs 3,600 per month,” said Minu.

A group of 500 ASHA workers from cities like Agra, Meerut, Bihar, Noida, Greater Noida, Lucknow and Delhi organised a sit-in protest on Saturday to demand payment of salaries due for more than two years and respect from doctors in their district hospitals.ASHA workers will move the Delhi High Court on 7 January 2012 with an appeal to look in to the matter.

Another ASHA worker said that doctors disrespect their work and do not attend to any patients they bring to the hospital for check ups.One of the key components of the National Rural Health Mission is to provide every village in the country with a trained female community health activist. The ASHA workers are selected from respective villages and are accountable for the health related activities.

However, ASHA workers complain that no rules are followed in their districts. The memorandum prepared by these workers includes other demands such as Below Poverty Line scheme facilties, pending commissions for their work from hospitals, provision of life insurance and other benefits