Our Bureau
SHILLONG/ TURA, Nov 6: As ASHA workers continue with their protest demanding better remunerations, the state government said it released Rs 34.50 crore in the last 18 months for them through the ‘ASHA First’ application for seamless payment.
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, while reacting to the protests, felt that the ASHA workers’ remunerations are adequate as services are voluntary.
Insisting that the ASHA workers are getting incentives and remunerations for every duty they perform, she said the government cleared their huge pending incentives calculated on the basis of their ability to meet healthcare targets for a particular village.
According to Lyngdoh, the ASHAs cannot be directly under the purview of the government or the Health Department as theirs is a voluntary service.
Meanwhile, a statement from the joint secretary for the Health and Family Welfare Department expressed concern over the ASHA workers’ agitation and said the development and implementation of the ASHA First application for seamless payment of incentives under the National Health Mission (NHM) has played a pivotal role in ensuring that payments are released promptly.
The joint secretary said the department has been consistent since the launch of the application in October 2022 in disbursing payments and that Rs 21.89 crore was released through the application in the last 12 months, taking the total amount released in the last 18 months to Rs 34.50 crore.
“Furthermore, pending payments for the Meghalaya Maternity Benefit Scheme and the Meghalaya ASHA Benefit Scheme, amounting to Rs 53 crore pending since 2013, have been released across the state during the 2021-2022 fiscal, marking a significant milestone,” the department said.
It was also claimed that the state government is providing a fixed incentive of Rs 2000 per month to each ASHA under the state scheme, recognising the diverse challenges faced by the ASHA workers.
“This inclusive approach ensures that even ASHAs covering small villages with limited populations receive reasonable financial incentives. Today, many ASHAs receive their payments, even on a weekly basis upon raising the claims through the app,” the statement said.
In areas that are challenging to access, the state government is entrusting the Village Health Councils to bring in trained community nurses (if available), who can offer valuable nursing skills to the community. The proposal for this transition is underway.
“Any disruption in their services can have severe consequences for the health and well-being of the community. However, within less than 18 months of the above-mentioned reforms being implemented by the state for its ASHA workers, the recurrent threats of service suspension and strikes by the ASHA workers’ union reflect negatively on the spirit of volunteerism, and disrupt community health services,” the statement said.
“Instances where such disruptions, particularly during agitation periods, have led to untoward incidents include a case of maternal death in Ri-Bhoi district during 2022. Such disruptions in essential health services are inadmissible and can have severe consequences for the communities at large,” it added.