Visakhapatnam: ASHA workers stage protest, seek better service conditions

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, owing allegiance to the AP ASHA Workers Union (CITU), staged a protest at the DMHO’s Office in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday demanding payment of ₹26,000 as minimum wages in view of the tremendous increase in work burden

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, owing allegiance to the AP ASHA Workers Union (CITU), staged a protest at the DMHO’s Office here on Tuesday demanding payment of ₹26,000 as minimum wages in view of the tremendous increase in work burden.

They also sought that online work should not be allotted to them as long as quality mobile phones were not given to them. They sought provision of drinking water, food, transportation charges and minimum amenities, when their services were utilised in election and examination duties.

Union honorary president P. Mani said that a joint meeting should be held to resolve the demands of the workers.

The other demands include fixing the retirement age at 62 years, payment of ₹10 lakh as ex gratia to ASHA workers, who had died due to COVID-19 during the pandemic from March 2020 onwards, conversion of Community Health Workers into ASHA workers, provision of quality mobile phones with 4G SIM, weightage in promotions to ASHA workers in the recruitment of ANMs and Health Secretaries, and appointment of ASHA workers directly by the government.