Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers staged a protest at the Gandhi Statue near the GVMC office on Thursday, demanding an increase in the budget allocation under National Health Mission (NHM) by the Centre, and payment of the additional allowance of ₹1,000 for the lockdown period as promised.
Scores of ASHA workers participated in the protest raising slogans in support of their demands.
Honorary president of ASHA Workers union P. Mani said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the death of several ASHA workers all over the country.
Their dependents were not even paid insurance, she alleged, adding that though the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had increased the amount of wages being paid to ASHA workers, it was not extending welfare schemes to them on the plea that they were getting higher wages.
Workers in the unorganised sector, who were getting more wages, were availing the benefit of various welfare schemes of the government, Ms. Mani said.
She added that the ASHA workers were being made to report both to the secretariats and the Medical and Health Department and sought continuation of ASHA workers in the Medical and Health Department.
