ASHAs to take out march for implementation of Centre’s incentive hike

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) will march to the office of the National Health Mission on August 20, demanding that the State government immediately implement the hike in incentives and other benefits declared by the Centre.

Even though the strike launched by ASHAs demanding a revised honorarium and enhanced retirement benefits has completed six months, the State government did not seem interested in considering the demands raised by ASHAs. Amid skyrocketing inflation and rising living expenses, it was just sheer will power and the courage of conviction that their demands were fair that was helping ASHAs sustain, a statement issued by Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association said here on Friday.

The KAHWA said that it was their relentless fight over the past six months and the incredible public support that they received, that made the ASHA struggle hit national headlines, drawing the attention of Parliament to the plight of the women workers.

Though at a much modest scale, the Centre announced a hike in incentives for ASHAs in Parliament and published on the official NHM website also. However, the State government has been maintaining that they have not received any intimation about it.

Retirement benefits

The KAHWA said that the State government had said many times that it would will hike the honorarium when the Centre increases the incentive. The government should immediately hike the honorarium and declare retirement benefits of ₹5 lakh. It said the ASHAs will continue their strike till the government relented.

The KAHWA said that the demands raised by ASHAs remained the same. They are demanding that the monthly honorarium be hiked to ₹21,000 and that the hike in incentives declared by the Centre be implemented. They also demanded that ASHAs are given ₹5 lakh as retirement benefits and are provided health insurance coverage under Ayushman Bharat-Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati.