National TB Elimination Programme: ‘Ensure ASHA workers get add’l incentives’

 The state Health department has written to the Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMoHs) in the districts and also to the Chief Medical Officer Officer (CMHO) at Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to ensure additional incentives to ASHA workers working under National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).

An incentive of Rs 50 has been announced for ASHA workers under the ambit of NTEP who are seeding bank account information of notified TB patients on Ni-kshay portal within 15 days of treatment initiation. An additional incentive of Rs 250 was also announced for the individuals for supporting treatment adherence and successful completion of TB preventive treatment among eligible individuals.

As a part of its programme of ‘elimination of tuberculosis in Bengal by 2025’, the state Health department on Friday issued an advisory to all the District Magistrates asking them to improve the existing infrastructure related to the treatment and community support to TB patients. Bengal is committed to achieving ‘TB Mukto Bangla’ by 2025. The state government has sanctioned around 2,500 additional posts for ASHA workers in all the districts. The step has been taken to carry out various health-related schemes in the state in a smoother manner. Murshidabad district is set to get the maximum number of ASHA workers in this phase. Around 289 ASHA workers have been allotted for the district.

Nadia will get 158 ASHA workers and South 24-Parganas 157. East Burdwan is set to receive 134 additional ASHA workers and West Midnapore 131. Malda will get 129 additional ASHA workers, followed by North 24-Parganas 127 and West Burdwan 111.