Kolkata: Around 53,153 ASHA workers who are at the forefront of the health care system in Bengal and implementing various state government schemes at the grassroots level, amidst the pandemic situation, were felicitated by 'Banga Janani Bahini' following the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
'Banga Janani Bahini' was formed by Banerjee in May 2019 to look after the well being of the ASHA workers who had so long been deprived by the erstwhile Left Front government. Another objective of the wing was to look after nutritional, educational and economic status of the women in the districts. Trinamool Congress MP Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was assigned as the President of Banga Janani Bahini.
The centralised nodal felicitation programme was carried out by Dr Ghosh Dastidar along with Madhyamgram MLA Rathin Ghosh at Madhyamgram while the other functionaries of Banga Janani Bahini were there in other felicitation programmes across the state. The ASHA workers were also given masks and sanitizers during the programme.
From distributing iron tablets to checking on immunization schedules of babies and pregnant women to carrying out periodic checks on TB patients, the job of the ASHA workers' has now expanded to watching out for signs of COVID-19 and counselling people. These workers also disseminate pandemic precaution tips to the people in the villages. Being at the forefront of the health care system, which is now reeling under pandemic, the ASHA workers often have to reach out to the people dealing with all hostility.
"Besides others the ASHA workers are the real Covid warriors who are fighting the battle from the front in the rural and semi-urban areas. Despite challenges, they are visiting door to door to spread awareness against Covid. We have felicitated all the 53,153 ASHA workers throughout Bengal," said Dr Ghosh Dastidar.
She further stated: "The ASHA workers did not get any facilities during the previous Left Front government. According to the notification of the Centre in 2005, the accredited social activists were supposed to work voluntarily. After the Mamata Banerjee government came to power, the ASHA workers started getting Rs 3,000 per month as remuneration.
The state government also announced financial benefits of Rs 3 lakh for all ASHA workers during their retirement. They have been brought under the coverage of the Swsathya Sathi scheme."