Karnataka Govt plans to axe ASHA facilitator posts!

Kundapura: The Karnataka government has decided to scrap the posts of 1,679 ASHA facilitators who were serving as a crucial link between ASHA workers and the Health Department for the past 12 years.

ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers have been appointed in rural areas at a ratio of one per 1,000 population and in urban slums and backward areas at a ratio of one per 2,500 population. Of the 42,524 ASHA worker posts sanctioned under the National Health Mission (NHM), 41,785 are currently working across Karnataka.

Each ASHA worker receives Rs 5,000 per month as a fixed honorarium from the state government. In addition, they are eligible for performance-based incentives for 37 activities under NHM, especially related to maternal health services.

Role of ASHA facilitators

The Health Department had appointed ASHA facilitators to support and monitor the work of ASHA workers. One facilitator was selected from among ASHA workers with good communication and leadership skills, with one assigned for every 20 ASHA workers. These facilitators worked 20 days a month in the supervisory role and spent the rest as regular ASHA workers. They were paid an additional Rs 6,000 per month for their supervisory duties.

Now, even as the facilitators have demanded a fixed monthly pay of at least Rs 21,000, the Health Department has officially discontinued the posts.

Burden on PHC staff

Although the norm was one facilitator for every 20 ASHA workers, in many areas one facilitator was handling up to 40–50 ASHA workers. Now, the responsibility of monitoring ASHA workers will fall on the already overburdened doctors and staff at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), who are already facing staff shortages.

Facilitators who served for over a decade now feel they have been demoted rather than promoted. ASHA workers have urged the government to continue these posts, but the final decision is still pending.

Final decision expected in April

“Since ASHA workers themselves were serving as facilitators, their core ASHA duties were getting delayed. Entry of data into digital platforms was also being affected. Initially, facilitators were necessary for training and handholding. But now, PHC doctors and medical staff can handle supervision. A decision on the continuation of the facilitator posts will be taken by ministers and senior officials in April,” said Dr Y. Naveen Bhat, Programme Director of National Health Mission, Bengaluru.

 

Translated version of Kannada article by Laxmi Machina