1,560 ASHA workers inducted in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal

Health Minister, T Harish Rao, who distributed the appointment letters to ASHA workers, announced that from this month the telephone bills of 27,000 ASHA workers in Telangana will be paid by State government

Hyderabad: To strengthen field level government healthcare services, a total of 1,560 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers have been inducted in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal districts.

Health Minister, T Harish Rao, who distributed the appointment letters to ASHA workers on Friday, announced that from this month onwards the telephone bills of 27,000 ASHA workers in Telangana will be paid by the State government.

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In June, the State government had announced paid maternity leave to all ASHA workers. In the last few years, the Telangana government has been consistently revising salaries of ASHA workers and at present, they are drawing a monthly payment of Rs. 9,750, while their counterparts in states governed by BJP and Congress receive only Rs 4,000 to 5,000, Harish Rao said.

“The salaries being paid to ASHA workers in Telangana is the highest the country. The State government incurs an expenditure of Rs 50,000 to provide training each ASHA worker,” he said.

Taking a dig at opposition parties, Harish Rao said in Gujarat, where BJP has been the ruling party for decades, the monthly salary for a ASHA worker is just Rs 4,500.

“Before statehood, when Congress was in power, ASHA workers were arrested for demanding better salary. In contrast, the BRS party has consistently increased their salaries,” he said. Congress leaders were internationally instigating second Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) to take up protests and boycott their duties. “Many do not realize that all the field level workers including second ANMs are well compensated in Telangana, when compared to other States,” he said.

Ministers, Mohd Mohammed Ali, T. Srinivas Yadav, Ch Mallareddy, MLA Arikepudi Gandhi, senior health officials and ASHA workers were present.