Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today distributed free smart phones to ASHA workers of the state for effective and smooth functioning in the field.

Addressing the ASHA workers through a video conference, the Chief Minister said that with this facility the ASHA workers would be able to use applications like Himarogya, TB Mukt Himachal App, RCH Portal etc.

He said that the mobile would also help them in effective dissemination of Information Education Communication (IEC) through single button push including videos and posters and would also help them in easy communication through bulk SMS.

Thakur said that the state government had given an incentive of Rs 1000 per month for the months of March, April, May and June to ASHA workers. He said that the State Government was now providing an incentive of Rs. 2000 per month for the month of July and August to all the ASHA Workers of the state. He said that as many as 7842 ASHA workers were providing their services in the State, out of which 7809 were working in rural areas and 33 in urban areas.

The Chief Minister said that the corona pandemic has taken the whole world by surprise and caught the medical fraternity unprepared. He said that Himachal Pradesh has effectively been fighting this virus and ASHA workers of the State have played a pivotal role in controlling this virus. He said that ASHA workers not only helped in detecting the people with ILI symptoms, but also helped in motivating the people in strictly following the quarantine norms.

Thakur said that ASHA workers were the most important grass root functionaries who in this corona pandemic have ensured that people of the State coming from other parts of the country were motivated to strictly follow the norms of home quarantine.

The Chief Minister said that the ASHA workers played a major role in the Active Case Finding Campaign launched by the state government and was even appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the Prime Minister even suggested the other Chief Ministers to follow Himachal Pradesh and launch this campaign in their respective States to detect patients with influenza like illness. He said that not only this, the ASHA Workers also were playing a vital role in educating the masses regarding the importance of social distancing and use of face masks to prevent spread of this virus.

The Chief Minister said that the ASHA workers also played an important role in sensitizing the people in home quarantine to strictly follow the norms so as to ensure that they and their family members remain safe.

Thakur said that the state government has succeeded in checking community spread and credit of this goes to the ASHA Workers. He said that the State Government would consider all the genuine demands of the ASHA workers symptomatically.

Additional Chief Secretary Health RD Dhiman said that the Chief Minister has given its nod to provide Rs 500 additional incentive to the ASHA Workers of the state keeping in view their important role towards the society.