KHADC chief seeks immediate release of ASHAs’ pending dues

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 16, 2021

Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Titosstar Well Chyne on Tuesday sought the intervention of the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for immediate release of all pending dues to the ASHA workers

“…I urged upon your kind personal intervention to ensure that all the dues of the ASHAs are settled at the earliest possible and to protect and respect their rights to a decent working condition,” Chyne wrote in his letter to Sangma.

He said the ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) are facing difficulty due to non-payment and delayed release of their dues.

The ASHAs serve as a liaison between the community and the public health system and are expected to act as health activists within their communities and are responsible for providing information, creating awareness about key public health services, and mobilizing the community to access reproductive, maternal and child health services.

Given the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chyne said the responsibilities of ASHA workers have increased exponentially from containing local transmission of COVID-19 to conducting door-to-door visits and reporting on symptomatic as well as asymptomatic cases.

Over and above their normal duties, certain departments have also utilized the ASHAs for other works not related to their assigned duties. The ASHAs have tirelessly and diligently provide yeomen services to the community especially in these trying times despite everything to which we are indebted, he said.