The long-awaited financial relief and recognition of thousands of women working at the village level came as the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government approved a significant increase in the honorarium of frontline health workers in a major decision with an aim of strengthening the grassroots healthcare. The announcement is seen as a big present to workers of ASHA, who are popularly referred to as Sahiyas in the state and who are instrumental in ensuring the rural population is linked with the government health services.
With the new decision, Sahiyas shall henceforth have due honorarium again, twice the amount they were getting. These community health workers were previously receiving 2,000 per month when it was under the National Health Mission (NHM). The state government has now resolved to add 2000 rupees to their monthly earnings to bring their monthly earnings to 4000 rupees. The growth will impact about 40,000 Sahiyas in the rural and urban Jharkhand, as their effort in providing maternal care, immunization campaigns, nutrition education, disease control, and medical outreach at a community level are essential.
The allowances of other associated health workers by the government have also been raised. Sahiya Sathi, who also aids in the field activity and monitoring of frontline workers, will now be paid 50 per day, as compared to the previous fixed amount of honorarium of 375 per month. On the same note, the benefits of members of the Block Training Team (BTT) and State Training Team (STT) will also be upgraded. BTT members will also enjoy ₹80 daily as compared to 650 monthly, and the STT members have 100 daily as compared to the 850 monthly.
This move will burden the state budget with an extra financial burden of more than 10 crore. The government has, however, pointed out that this increase is necessary to enhance the motivation and standards of living of the workers who serve as the foundation of the rural health system in the state. Most of these health workers are women of rural and economically modest origin, and the revised honorarium would provide them with enhanced financial freedom and stability.
The step is an indication of the government in ensuring that the health delivery network is fortified at the grassroots, considering its lessons learnt in the recent past because of the public health challenges. With the enhancement of the compensation, the administration expects to enhance the quality of the services, turn around the situation with the field participation, and retain the experienced workers who can make a great contribution to the healthcare objectives of the state.
On the whole, the move is being viewed as a significant welfare initiative that appreciates the mute yet strong role of community health workers who keep the rural healthcare of Jharkhand afloat.
