Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The National Human rights Commission ( NHRC), India, has taken cognisance of a complaint that the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers are not getting their dues and safety equipment despite working on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic in rural areas across the country. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, and to the Chief of Secretaries of the States to submit their reports on the issues raised in the complaint within six weeks.
The NHRC has observed that the allegations, if true, raise very crucial issues as the entire health management system of the vast rural population across India depends on these ASHA workers, according to an NHRC release. Therefore, the reports must carry the details on how many ASHA workers are working in each state; status and amount of remuneration and other dues paid to them during the pandemic; arrears due to them; health protection measures instituted for their protection to discharge their professional functions; facilities provided to these health workers and their families; compensation in the event of fatality incurred during discharge of duty; long term health insurance/ protection; social security/ protection facilities as per the extant guidelines, it said.