Talks with health minister fail, Kerala ASHA workers to continue strike
The talks between the health minister and the agitating ASHA workers failed as the government was not ready to accept any of the demand put forth by the ASHA workers.
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Kerala launched an indefinite hunger strike as the government is yet to respond positively to their demand for a hike in their honorarium and post-retirement benefits.
The ASHA workers, under the banner of Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA), resorted to the hunger strike after two rounds of talks with the National Health Mission (NHM) authorities and Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday failed. Their agitation in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram for the past 39 days seeking post-retirement benefits and a hike in their honorarium has been making headlines at the national level.
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Three ASHA workers including Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association state general secretary M A Bindu joined the hunger strike before on Thursday. R Sheeja, and KP Thankamani are also on hunger strike along with MA Bindu.
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Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George reiterated that only the Central government has the authority to decide on increasing ASHA workers’ honorarium. As the protest intensified, the minister has gone over to New Delhi for talks with Union Health Minister JP Nadda. The ASHA workers alleged that it was an eyewash as the minister did not even take an appointment with the Union minister. The minister also told reporters in Delhi that her main purpose of visit was a meeting with a Cuban delegation.
The strike has already snowballed into a major issue in the state with the Congress-led Opposition UDF and the BJP slamming the LDF government for neglecting the basic demands of the weaker sections of the society.
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