Scores of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers held protest demonstration against the government on Saturday, demanding incentives, better pay and protection from infection amid raging coronavirus crisis.
Raising slogans, the ASHA workers alleged that the government had forgotten to admit the names of ASHA workers in approved special financial incentives list recently announced by it in favour of COVID-19 warriors including doctors and paramedics rendering valuable services in the pandemic.
They said that since they were involved in collecting coronavirus-related data and following up with patients, they had to undertake difficult journeys for work. “In some places, we had a lot of difficulty reaching households, especially in containment zones,” an ASHA worker Aliya said.
She said that the decision benefits corona warriors like doctors, medical officers, paramedical, nursing staff, drivers and class IV employees only.
“Why were we ignored by the government as we were also at the frontline for the past two years during the pandemic,” Aliya said. “We are working on minimum wages. We appeal the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to increase our monthly wages and also mention us in special financial incentives.”