Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday distributed free smartphones to ASHA workers of the State for their effective and smooth functioning and to perform their duties efficiently.
Addressing the ASHA workers through video conference, Thakur said that with this facility the ASHA workers would be able to improve their functioning. He said that with these smart phones, they would be able to use applications like DCD, Himarogya, TB Mukt Himachal App, RCH Portal etc and the mobile would also help them in effective dissemination of IEC through single button push including videos and posters and would also help them in easy communication through bulk SMS.
Thakur said the State Government had given an incentive of Rs 1000 per month for the months of March, April, May and June to ASHA workers, adding that the State Government was now providing incentive of Rs. 2000 per month for the month of July and August to them. He said that as many as 7842 ASHA workers were providing their services in the State, out of which 7809 were working in rural areas and 33 in urban areas. The CM said the corona pandemic has taken the whole world by surprise and caught the medical fraternity unprepared, adding that Himachal Pradesh has been effectively fighting this virus and ASHA workers have played a pivotal role in controlling this. He said ASHA workers not only helped in detecting the people with ILI symptoms, but has also helped in motivating the people in strictly following the quarantine norms.
Thakur said ASHA workers were the most important grass root functionaries who in this corona pandemic have ensured that people of the State coming from other parts of the country were motivated to strictly follow the norms of home quarantine. He said the State Government has succeeded in checking community spread and credit of this goes to the ASHA Workers, adding that the Government would consider all the genuine demands.