The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : 156 health volunteers appointed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 28, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

156 health volunteers appointed

Staff Reporter

Accredited social health activists to ensure community participation

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Government has appointed 156 women voluntary health workers, or accredited social health activists (ASHAs), in 10 coastal panchayats in the district as part of a National Rural Health Mission initiative to involve communities in local health action.

The appointment was made on an emergency basis on Wednesday, considering the situation in these areas where flood-relief camps were opened following sea erosion. Because of poor sanitation facilities and a lack of safe drinking water, the coastal belt in the district has been vulnerable to vector- and water-borne diseases, especially during the monsoon.

ASHAs will be appointed in the Corporation areas this week, health department officials said. Vizhinjam gets the highest number of 32 volunteers. Kulathoor has 15; Poovar 12; Karumkulam 28; Kadhinamkulam 23; Vakkom 11; Anchuthengu 22; Venganoor 6; Kottukal 4; and Vettoor 3.

ASHAs has been envisaged as an integral part of the mission so that health education and awareness can be taken to the doorsteps of people in far-flung tribal areas or urban slums. While they were initially envisaged for States with poor health indicators, Kerala also secured them, as it was pointed out that even with its good health indicators, the State had vulnerable pockets where more health interventions were required.

Priority has been given to Mahila Swasth Sangh volunteers here in the appointment of ASHAs. A woman from the local community is selected and appointed in the same village and she is expected to be the first point of contact for any health-related needs of the community. There will be one such health worker for every 1000 population.

As a grassroots-level health activist, these women are expected to make house visits, create health awareness and mobilise the community towards local health planning and better utilisation of existing health facilities. Promoting good health practices; making the community aware of sanitation, child nutrition, women’s health, immunisation, personal hygiene and contraception; and prevention and treatment of reproductive-tract infections are expected of them.

No monthly salary

ASHAs will work in close coordination with the local bodies, junior public health nurses and anganwadi workers. However, these workers will not have any monthly salary and will be paid on the basis of the work they do in the community.

They will get fixed payment for taking women to antenatal care facilities; distribution of oral rehydration salts and iron and folic acid tablets; promotion of family planning; and any key health-related activity to which they can contribute to. They will be provided formal training as well as on-the-job training by the health department.

The success of this scheme will depend on how well the women take up their tasks and mobilise the community. The department does have its vast network of field and anganwadi workers, and ASHAs are not of a new concept for the State.

However, the performance-linked pay may encourage them to be more active in the field.

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