Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, May 21: ASHA workers across the state will join a nationwide agitation on May 24 demanding better wages and availability of protective gear to work against Covid. ASHA workers have been working relentlessly without adequate protective gear. Almost 10 lac ASHA workers are expected to join the protest across the country.

"In the second wave, ASHA workers are put on 24 hours' duty almost, without leave. They are told to conduct surveys, report cases, get medical help to the infected, monitor patients, follow up with recovered ones and so on. This is in addition to the vaccination duties for almost 8-9 hours a day," said Anandi Avaghade, head of ASHA workers' union in Satara.

ASHA workers in the state complained that they have been deprived of even a regular supply of masks or sanitizers, leave alone PPEs. "Some gram panchayats provide those, but there is no support from the state," she said, adding that they were given masks and sanitizers just once in the second wave in several districts.

"ASHAs have been doing co-morbidity surveys since last year. We demand that the government pay Rs 300 per day," she said. The ASHA workers are also demanding the Rs 50 lac insurance cover to be extended, a compensation of Rs 10 lac for all those who got infected; insurance and coverage of treatment for Covid-19 for the entire family.