In response to yesterday’s one-day strike by over 42,000 ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) across Karnataka, around 17 out of 31 districts in the state have released their pending honorariums for the past two months of March and April.
Yesterday, May 24, ASHAs across the southern state boycotted their duties in protest against their pending honorariums. Despite no payment, these frontline workers have been tirelessly working in the second wave of the COVID19 pandemic by raising awareness and screening people in the villages.
“So far, around seventeen [out of 31 districts] have released our pending honorariums for the two months,” Nagalakshmi, state secretary of Karnataka Rajya Samyukta ASHA Union, told Gaon Connection.
“Yesterday, the Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said that the remaining fourteen districts [including Bengaluru, Mandya, Ramanagara] will release the money in two-three days,” Nagalakshmi, who is based in Bellary, said. But, according to her, releasing money for two months is not their basic demand. “There are other issues as well,” she added.
“This year in just one month, five ASHAs have died of coronavirus. No one has received any compensation yet. Last year, twelve ASHAs had died, and the family of only one deceased was provided compensation,” said Nagalakshmi. She was referring to the Rs 50 lakh life insurance announced by the Centre last year.
Since the second wave of the pandemic in March this year, over one million ASHAs across the country have been carrying out various COVID related activities and there have been reports from various states as to how these women frontline workers have not even been provided the basic safety gear and their rightful remuneration. Many of them barely earn Rs 2,500 a month.
In Karnataka, these ASHAs are provided a fixed honorarium of Rs 4,000 a month by the state government under the National Health Mission. This is in addition to the Rs 1,000 a month provided by the central government for their COVID duties. However, an earlier report by Gaon Connection showed how a large number of ASHAs haven’t received Rs 1,000 COVID duty allowance for almost a year now.
Yesterday, the union of ASHAs in Karnataka demanded an ‘immediate’ release of the two months pending remuneration of Rs 4,000 per month for all the ASHA workers across the state. And as a mark of protest they stayed away from work yesterday for a day.
“They (ASHA workers) are usually paid on the first week of every month. We have already paid ASHA workers in 17 districts and shall complete the same in the remaining (13) districts within two days,” Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar told the media yesterday.
On being contacted by Gaon Connection, the District Magistrate of Ramanagara, K Rakesh Kumar, told Gaon Connection that “As of now there is some issue with regard to the transfer of funds at the state level.” Ramanagara is one of the districts that is yet to release payment of the ASHAs.
‘17 ASHAs dead. Only 1 got life insurance money’
Apart from demanding their honorariums for the past two months, as part of the one-day strike, the ASHA workers have also demanded release of Rs 5,000 as COVID relief package for all ASHA Workers as announced to other healthcare workers.
Additionally, they have asked for a minimum of Rs 25,000 as medical compensation for those ASHA workers who are COVID infected; ensuring the sufficient supply of masks, hand sanitisers, gloves and necessary safety equipment; and ‘immediate’ release of Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million) insurance compensation for those ASHA workers who had succumbed during the first wave.
Last year, the central government introduced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance scheme for all healthcare workers including ASHAs engaged in COVID19 response. The insurance scheme provides a life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs [Rs 5 million] in case of death due to the coronavirus.
According to Nagalakshmi, since the start of the pandemic last year, at least 17 ASHAs have died in Karnataka. However, only one has received the Rs 50 lakh compensation.
She also informed that at least 1,000 ASHA workers in the state are at present infected with coronavirus, and it is necessary to release Rs 25,000 each medical compensation to them.
As per the state secretary for the union, ASHAs are provided with one or two masks for one month. “And these are not N95 masks, these are surgical masks, which become useless after three to four hours of use. Only once they [ASHA workers] were given fifty mL [millilitre] sanitiser since the beginning of the pandemic. Nothing this year. ASHAs manage masks and sanitisers on their own,” complained Nagalakshmi.
However, the district magistrate of Ramanagara dismissed any such allegations. “We are providing N95 and disposable masks, each and every day in the PHC [primary health centre]. We are giving them as and when they [ASHA workers] go out,” Rakesh Kumar said. He also added that so far there has been no documented deaths of ASHAs in the district.
Additional responsibilities in the second wave
Amid confusion over the role and responsibility of ASHA workers during the second wave of the pandemic, the union has also demanded to ‘provide a government order copy for tasks designated to ASHA workers.’
“Apart from the honorarium, there are other demands as well. If the state government fails to address these, we will organise another state level meeting. We are waiting for some time,” she added.
NHRC notice to Centre on ‘poor working conditions’ of ASHAs
Meanwhile, yesterday on May 24, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), took cognizance of a complaint that the ASHA workers are not getting their dues and safety equipment despite being working on the frontline during the COVID19 pandemic in the rural areas across the country.
The NHRC has issued notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and to the Chief of Secretaries of the states to submit their reports on the issues raised in the complaint within six weeks.
The Commission has observed that the allegations, if true, “raise very crucial issues as the entire health management system of the vast rural population across India depends upon these ASHA workers,” the statement by the commission read.
