Government stops Covid allowance, ASHA workers up in arms

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 2

The government has decided to stop the special Covid allowance of Rs 2,500 being given to the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). The notification has caused an unrest among the ASHAs and today they burnt the copies of the notification.

Kirandeep Kaur, president, ASHA Facilitator and ASHA Workers Union, Punjab, said ASHAs have been declared as frontline workers and even the WHO has given them the title of “Global Health Leaders” but now the new government has stopped the Covid special incentive that was given to them which is totally unfair.

“Without caring about our lives, we worked during the Covid times and many ASHAs got infected and some had to bear the wrath of the people who were not ready for sampling. We have done door-to-door survey sampling, distributed Fateh Kits, tracked patients, checked temperature and oxygen level of the patients and then awareness regarding vaccination,” she said.

Adding further, Kashmir Kaur, general secretary of the union, said even today the work related to Covid has not stopped but the government has stopped the incentive. The incentive should be given till they are doing Covid related duties.

“Now, that the government has decided to stop the incentive so they should not ask for any report related to Covid and neither they should be engaged in Covid vaccination. Their incentive for April-May is also pending and it should be given to them at the earliest. From now on they will not be doing any covid related work,” said Kashmir Kaur.

A memorandum was handed over to Civil Surgeon Dr SP Singh and copies of the notification were also burnt by ASHAs.

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