GS Paper 1
Syllabus: Issues related to Women.
Source: Indian Express
Context: This article depicts the views of an ASHA worker on how she envisions India on its completion of 100 years of Independence.
Concerns of an ASHA worker about rural health services:
- Lack of information: this is one of the biggest issues facing rural health services. preoccupied with the fear of separation and quarantine, ASHA workers were accused of “getting them caught” during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Communication: Channels of communication between the government and the rural population need to be robust.
- Lack of resources: Medical facilities are understaffed and lack adequate equipment for basic life-saving procedures like deliveries.
Key issues for ASHA workers:
There are two critical issues for ASHA workers:
- They are not having a fixed income for their work. A fixed income would give them stability in a job where they spend between eight to twelve hours daily.
- ASHA workers are recognised as “volunteers” currently: Recognising ASHA workers as “workers” allows them dignity and protection, and helps them to be taken seriously — by the state, the gram panchayat responsible for the disbursal of our funds, and patients.
Who are ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers?
ASHA workers are volunteers from within the community who are trained to provide information and aid people in accessing the benefits of various healthcare schemes of the government.
- They act as a bridge connecting marginalised communities with facilities such as primary health centres, sub-centres and district hospitals.
- The role of these community health volunteers under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was first established in 2005.
ASHA workers in the country:
There is around 10.4 lakh ASHA workers across the country.
- The largest workforces of ASHA workers are in states with high populations – Uttar Pradesh (1.63 lakh), Bihar (89,437), and Madhya Pradesh (77,531).
- Goa is the only state with no such workers.
ASHA workers- Roles and Functions:
Recognition:
- ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers have received the Global Health Leaders Award-2022 in the backdrop of the 75th World Health Assembly.
- They were named a “Guardian of the Year” by Time magazine in 2020.
Way forward:
- These kinds of recognitions have given them some leverage to circumvent the system and seek funds for people in my community.
- Giving ASHA workers due recognition would help them to work on the ground and connect with people.
National Health Mission:
· National Health Mission (NHM) was launched by the government of India in 2013 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission.
· The NHM envisages achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable & quality health care services that are accountable and responsive to people’s needs.
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM):
· The NRHM was launched on 12th April 2005, to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vulnerable groups.
National Urban Health Mission (NUHM):
· NUHM as a sub-mission of the National Health Mission (NHM) was approved in 2013.
· NUHM envisages meeting the healthcare needs of the urban population with a focus on the urban poor, by making available to them essential primary healthcare services and reducing their out-of-pocket expenses for treatment.
Insta Link: We have covered ASHA Workers in detail in our previous article, to see that please click here.
Prelims Link:
With reference to the National Rural Health Mission, which of the following are the jobs of ‘ASHA’, a trained community health worker? (2012)
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- Accompanying women to the health facility for antenatal care checkups
- Using pregnancy test kits for early detection of pregnancy
- Providing information on nutrition and immunisation.
- Conducting the delivery of the baby
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Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (a)
Mains Link:
Q. Empowering the ASHA workers to truly integrate the multiple roles of community mobiliser, activist and provider of first-contact care will ensure holistic developmental outcomes at the grassroots level. Discuss.
