Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) are female healthcare workers trained to support India's public health system within their communities. They are integral to the National Rural Health Mission launched by the Government of India and serve as primary care providers at the community level. They facilitate access to healthcare, medicine, and sanitation services, and work to raise awareness about health issues among marginalized sections of the community.

The following are the selection standards and qualification requirements for ASHA Healthcare Workers:

Rural:

• Candidates must be aged between 25 and 45 years

• Candidates must be literate. Preference is given to those with a 10th pass certificate

• There are several interviews at the Anganwadi, block and district levels. The health committees maintain a thorough selection process

Urban:

• The prospective candidates must be female residents of vulnerable clusters or slums within an urban setup

• Must be aged between 25 and 45 years

• The candidate should preferably be married, widowed, separated or divorced

 

Candidates must be literate in their native language and must at least be a 10th grade certificate holder

The following are some of the availability guidelines for ASHA healthcare workers:

Rural:

• The states are to employ at least one Community Health Volunteer (CHV) or an ASHA healthcare worker for every village with a population of over 1000 residents

• The selection standards and the qualification norms can be relaxed if there is a shortage of such ASHA workers in the village

Urban:

• The respective State Health Department assesses all urban locales in the state to identify vulnerable settlements and slums that need healthcare and sanitation aid

• At least one ASHA healthcare worker must be appointed for every 1000 people residing in a community

• ASHA workers can also be appointed for smaller populations if the community is dispersed

• If there are more than one vulnerable groups present in a community, more than one ASHA healthcare worker can be appointed as well

The following are some of the everyday tasks that an ASHA healthcare worker is trained to handle:

• Function as a care provider at the community level

• Facilitate access to healthcare, medicine and sanitation services

• Raise the level of awareness of health issues among the marginalised sections within the community

• Advocate for female health and hygiene standards

• Advocate for a health-conscious behaviour and approach to livelihood

 

These services are not exhaustive. There are many other tasks that an ASHA healthcare worker might have to undertake depending on the specific needs of the community.

ASHA healthcare workers fall under the ambit of the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. Those under 70 years of age are covered by this benefit package for a period of one year.

 

This benefit package includes the following perks for the ASHA workers:

• Compensation of ₹2 Lakhs for death due to accident.

• Compensation of ₹2 Lakhs for complete permanent physical disabilities. These include total and permanent damage to both eyes, and loss of the use of both hands or feet. It can also be loss of sight of one eye and loss of use of one hand or one foot.

• Compensation of ₹1 Lakh in case of permanent partial disability. This includes the complete loss of sight of one eye or loss of use of one hand or one foot.

 

All ASHA healthcare workers that are under the age of 50 years come under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana as well. This benefit package includes the following perks for the ASHA workers:

• Compensation of ₹2 Lakhs in cases of death due to any reason with a one-year cover period.

• A minimum incentive of ₹2000 from the State or the Centre for performing routine activities.

The monitoring and evaluation regime under the National Rural Health Mission comprises district-level surveys to identify the priority health and hygiene issues. Many organisations such as the Gram Sabhas, and Block Offices are involved in its implementation.

As healthcare becomes an important sector in India today, most of such issues remain at the grassroots levels, where the implementation of the national-level scheme is meagre. In response, the ASHA workers fill the gaps among the rural and other vulnerable sections of society.

 

However, unforeseen medical emergencies can still pose a significant financial burden. This is where a health insurance plan can be crucial. Bajaj Markets features a wide range of health insurance schemes from various providers to suit your needs and budget.

Health Insurance Plans Available at Bajaj Markets