Thousands of Healthcare Activists Hold Nationwide Protest in India Demanding Better Pay, Facilities

The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) is a community of female frontline health workers who are responsible for everything from door-to-door surveys, distributing medicine kits, to measuring oxygen saturation, monitoring containment zones, and spreading awareness about vaccines.

Thousands of social healthcare activists known as the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) took to the streets of New Delhi for a nationwide strike on Friday to push for their demand for risk allowance and insurance coverage while on COVID duty, the regularisation of appointments, right to earn minimum wages, social security, and post-retirement benefits.

An ASHA worker raising the demand for a district-level gender cell to prevent sexual harassment of the ASHA workers

© Photo : Deexa Khanduri

The ASHA workers played a crucial role when the country witnessed a severe health crisis due to COVID-19. They have carried forward India’s immunisation drive by bringing COVID-19 vaccines to the doorsteps of marginalised people who are cut off from urban areas.

Talking about the problems of the ASHA workers, Shweta Raj, president of the Dilli ASHA Kamgar Union (a group of healthcare activists), told Sputnik: “The public health system of the country was totally dependent on ASHA workers when the country was battling the pandemic. But most of the ASHA workers have not even been provided with sufficient masks, gloves, sanitisers, and other safety equipment”.

“A lot of ASHA workers lost their lives during the pandemic but their families have been denied any compensation by the government”, she added.

She said that a delegation of her union had met federal minister Bhupendra Yadav, raised the issue of the ASHA workers, and submitted their demands.

Several ASHA workers representing Dilli ASHA Kamgar Union protesting at New Delhi

© Photo : Deexa Khanduri

The demands pushed forward by the Dilli ASHA Kamgar Union are that the status of government employees be granted to ASHA workers, a minimum pay of INR 21,000 ($284) per month, fully paid maternity leave and medical leave, INR 10,000 ($135) per month as COVID allowance, immediate disbursal of COVID allowance, a district-level gender cell to prevent sexual harassment of ASHA workers, free health treatment for the family members of any ASHA worker, and several others

ASHA members across many states have been protesting against their working conditions and low wages since the onset of COVID-19.

In 2005, the government launched the National Rural Health Mission, recruiting ASHAs to connect vulnerable and rural communities to the healthcare sector.

There are more than a million ASHA workers in the country. Ideally, a health activist is supposed to reach 1,500 people in their area. They are paid between INR 1,000 and 3,000 (roughly $13.5 to $40) every month. But this is not fixed, as their work is supposed to be voluntary and part-time.