[ Karda Natam ]
DAPORIJO, Sep 9: Covid-19 frontline workers, the accredited social health activists (ASHAs) in Upper Subansiri district, are being pushed into financial distress as the government has not released their honorarium for several months.
Most of the ASHAs, especially low-income families from rural areas, are struggling to meet their household expenses.
To vent their frustration and anger, the ASHAs from different parts of the district gathered at the higher secondary school ground here.
They said the government has been turning a deaf ear to their cries for honorarium.
The ASHAs said they too have been performing Covid-19 duties with sincerity and dedication, like many other frontline workers, but the services rendered by them seem to have been overlooked and they are not being treated at par with other frontline workers and government employees, they alleged.
“We have not been provided with the facilities that are being provided to other frontline workers,” they rued.
ASHAs play a critical role in the successful implementation of the health programmes of the government. Some of their primary jobs are promoting institutional deliveries, teaching the women about child nutrition and creating awareness on various health programmes among the rural masses.
Apart from their assigned duties, they have also been playing a crucial role in Covid-19 management by way of raising public awareness about dos and don’ts of Covid-19 to avoid the disease.
The ASHAs appealed to the state government to release their honorarium as soon as possible.
