After boycotting work for 20 days, the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), who play a crucial role in the government’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, called off their strike and resumed work on Thursday.
The Karnataka Rajya Samyukta ASHA Karyakarteyara Sangha has said that they called off the strike after the government agreed to fulfil some of their main demands. D. Nagalakshmi, State secretary of the sangha, however, said the government would announce concrete decisions in the next couple of days. The main demands of ASHA workers include monthly honorarium of ₹12,000 and PPE kits for all workers who are out on the field.
The decision was taken following meetings with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Health and Family Welfare Minister B.S. Sriramulu earlier this week. The Health Minister met the protesting workers on Wednesday and assured them that their demands would be fulfilled.
Tracing of primary and secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients as well as coordination work for quarantining asymptomatic patients took a hit on account of ASHA workers boycotting work. Other duties of ASHA workers, including immunisation and mother and child tracking, were also affected.
