PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The active role of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) at the ground level has helped control dengue cases across the Dehradun district, district magistrate Savin Bansal said. He stated this during an interaction with frontline workers on Friday.
Addressing ASHA workers, ANMs, NSS and NCC cadets, the DM acknowledged their field contributions and said frontline workers are the backbone of the health system. He said that for the first time in the district, the administration has approved an additional incentive of Rs 1,500 for all ASHA workers. The incentive comes from three sources which are Rs 1,000 from the National Health Mission, Rs 1,500 from the municipal corporations and Rs 1,500 from the district administration.
Besides this, ASHAs and ASHA facilitators who perform well will receive a separate reward of Rs 1,555, without a cap on the number of beneficiaries. Bansal said that ASHAs have been assigned the task of verifying the work of dengue field volunteers and have also been allotted specific wards for door-to-door larva surveys in Dehradun and Rishikesh.
The administration has deployed rapid response teams and volunteers in each ward to monitor the spread of dengue, malaria, chikungunya, cholera and other waterborne diseases. Bansal said that ASHAs are no longer just health workers but have become the foundation of the health system. He added that their pink uniform has become a symbol of the healthcare system. He clarified that the Rs 1,555 amount given to some ASHAs is an acknowledgment of their contribution and not financial aid.
The DM said that the district machinery has been instructed to remain active on short notice if any dengue case is reported. ASHAs who contract any infection during work will be given treatment on priority, he said. He also stated that the verification of volunteers’ presence in each ward will now be the responsibility of ASHAs.
