Shillong, Nov 22: The state government has rejected the demand of the ASHA workers to hike their honorarium from Rs 2000 to Rs 5000 but assured to bear the transportation expenditure.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh conveyed the decision to the delegation of delegation of the Meghalaya Accredited Social Health Activist Workers Union (MASHAWU) during the meeting.
Later, briefing reporters, Lyngdoh said, “We have brought the proposal before the chief minister in a meeting held yesterday and today and we have decided to come up with a new scheme that will take care of the expenditures incurred by the ASHAs when transporting a patient to health facility. We will introduce the Community based Health Incentive (CHI) to address their demands”, Ampareen said.
“This is a new component that we feel needs to be provided to ASHAs. They will include expenditures of ASHAs under the various heads like POL, include assistance to ASHAs, who are working very well and has reduced maternal and infant deaths,” she added.
