Smart phones given to ASHA workers

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 15

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today distributed smart phones free of cost to ASHA workers in the Health and Family Welfare department so that they are able to perform their duties efficiently.

While addressing ASHA workers through video conference, the Chief Minister said that with this facility these workers would be able to improve their functioning. “With these smart phones, the ASHA workers will be able to use applications like DCD, Himarogya, TB Mukt Himachal App, RCH Portal and also help in effective dissemination of information with the push of a button,” he said.

He said the state government had given an incentive of Rs 1,000 per month for the months of March, April, May and June to ASHA workers and now Rs 2,000 per month extra would be paid for July and August.

“Himachal has effectively been fighting this virus and ASHA workers had not only helped in detecting people with ILI symptoms, but motivated the people to strictly follow the quarantine norms,” he remarked. He added that the ASHA workers were the most important grass root functionaries who during this pandemic have ensured that people of the state coming from other parts of the country were motivated to strictly follow quarantine norms.

The Chief Minister said that the ASHA workers played a major role in the Active Case Finding Campaign launched by the state government, which was lauded even by the Prime Minister and adopted by many other states. He added that state government has succeeded in checking community spread of coronavirus for which credit goes to the ASHA Workers. He said that the State Government would consider all the genuine demands of the ASHA workers symptomatically.