There’s good news for health workers like anganwadi workers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) working at the ground-level to improve the delivery of health and nutrition services in the society. Starting October, anganwadi workers receiving Rs 3,000 so far would get Rs 4,000. Similarly, those receiving Rs 2,200 would get Rs 3,500. The honorarium for anganwadi helpers has also been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,250.
This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday while interacting with the health workers from across the nation via a live video conference. He said the revised incentive will come into effect from October and it will reflect in their salaries from November onwards, which would be a Diwali gift for them.
Besides doubling of routine incentives given by the Union Government, ASHA workers and their helpers would be provided free insurance cover under the “Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana” and “Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana”.
Anganwadi workers and helpers using techniques such as Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) would get additional incentives ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 500 which would be based on performance.
During the interaction, Modi said the Government had focussed on aspects relating to nutrition and quality healthcare. Vaccination efforts were progressing at a quick pace, helping women and children in particular. ASHAs are community health workers instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as part of the National Rural Health Mission.
Anganwadi is a rural mother and child care centre under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Asha and Anganwadi workers are playing a critical role in strengthening the foundation of the country, ensuring health and wellbeing of the newborn, ensuring nutritional standards and maintaining cleanliness, Modi said.
He said the Government’s flagship health insurance programme Ayushman Bharat will be launched from Jharkhand on September 23, and the beneficiaries have already been identified. Karishma, a newborn in Karnal district of Haryana, is the first beneficiary under this scheme, he said. During his interaction, the Prime Minister laid emphasis on redoubling efforts to reduce anaemia-related illness in the country by three times, the reduction rate of which currently stands at only one per cent.
September is being devoted to nutrition and “Poshan Maah” aims to reach every household in the country with the message of the importance of optimum nutrition. Modi appreciated their efforts to work together, to use innovative means and technology, to improve the delivery of health and nutrition services and achieve the goal of the ‘POSHAN Abhiyan’ (nutrition mission).