Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers in Kerala are set to launch an indefinite fast after repeated negotiations with state and central health authorities failed to address their demand for a higher honorarium and retirement benefits.
For weeks, ASHA workers had been staging protests outside the Secretariat, seeking a raise in their monthly honorarium from Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000, along with a retirement package of Rs 5 lakh at the age of 62. The deadlock in discussions with Kerala Health Minister Veena George and National Health Mission (NHM) officials forced the workers to escalate their agitation.
From Thursday, three leaders are set to begin a hunger strike until their demands are met.
"We are the backbone of the healthcare system, yet we struggle to make ends meet. We will not back down until our demands are fulfilled," said one of the protesting workers, as per IANS.
Government's Response
Health Minister Veena George acknowledged the workers’ concerns, stating that the government is committed to finding a solution. "We have held multiple discussions with ASHA representatives, and I have also raised this issue with Union Health Minister JP Nadda. He said that he will definitely take care of the issues of ASHA workers," she said. However, ASHA workers remain unconvinced pointing to a lack of tangible action.
The strike has triggered a political storm with opposition parties slamming the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for its handling of the crisis. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused the government of neglecting frontline health workers. Meanwhile, a blame game between the state and central governments continues, with each side holding the other responsible for addressing the workers’ demands.