ANMs protest excessive digital reporting, seek workload cut

Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) working in the Health department have raised objections to the growing burden of digital reporting, stating that they are being forced to operate around 14 different mobile apps in addition to their field duties. 

Under the banner of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the ANMs staged a dharna in front of the office of Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare in Hyderabad on Monday, demanding that the government withdraw the apps and reduce their workload.

AITUC State deputy general secretary M. Narasimha said that while online reporting was initially limited to one or two applications when it was introduced in 2016, the number has now increased drastically. “Each app, whether U-WIN, NCD, MCH-KIT, IDSP, TB Mukt Bharat or Sickle Cell, requires filling in 20 to 30 columns. In some cases, like the NCD app, it takes nearly 30 minutes to complete the details of one person. With targets set to screen 35% of the population, ANMs are struggling to keep up,” he said.

He pointed out that ANMs were originally recruited to monitor health conditions in rural areas, carry out preventive measures and spread awareness and administer vaccinations.