Mysore/Mysuru: Secretary of All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) M. Umadevi, has demanded to consider ASHA workers as Government employees and provide due facilities to them.

She was addressing a gathering of ASHA workers, after inaugurating the maiden conference of ASHA workers of the city, organised jointly by Karnataka Combined ASHA Workers Association, Mysuru City ASHA Workers Association and AIUTUC, at the auditorium of a hotel here on Saturday.

Umadevi said, ASHA workers are relentlessly working to protect the health of the society. Even though the honorarium provided by the Government is meagre, the ASHA workers are involved in keeping the health of the people, with a service motive. But, the Government has failed to safeguard the interests of ASHA workers, dilly-dallying to provide due facilities to them.

During Covid-19 pandemic, ASHA workers discharged their duties, risking their own lives, which was recognised by World Health Organisation (WHO) and hailed them as ‘Global Health Leaders’, thus respecting their services. However, it is due to the lackadaisical attitude of the Government that, ASHA workers are caught in a crisis, alleged Umadevi.

The Government should take steps to protect the interests of ASHA workers by absorbing them as Government employees and ensure social security to them, besides making adequate budgetary allocation for strengthening public health system and take steps to hike the monthly honorarium to Rs.15,000 from the Central and State Governments.

Seema, Advisor of Karnataka Combined ASHA Workers Association and its State Treasurer P.S. Sandhya, also addressed the conference.

District Secretary of AIUTUC Chandrashekar and Shobha, Suneetha and Komala of City ASHA Workers Association were present.