ASHA strike enters 35th day; Secretariat blockade tomorrow

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The day-night strike by ASHA workers in front of the secretariat, raising various demands, has entered its 35th day. The workers have announced that they will blockade the secretariat tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the District Program Manager of the Health Department has sent a notice to the authorities in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Thrissur districts to conduct a training program for ASHAs tomorrow. The directive is to provide training on the Palliative Care Action Plan and Palliative Care Grid. The notice states that all ASHA workers should participate in the training and that the attendance of the trained persons should be checked by the Medical Officer to prepare a database and sent to the district level on the same day. The training will be from 10 am to 1 pm. Since today is a holiday, the notice was sent yesterday afternoon.

ASHA workers alleged that those participating in the strike are getting threatened and that widespread efforts are being made to reduce participation in the strike by assigning special tasks and calling meetings tomorrow.

ASHA workers' strike unnecessary: ​​E.P. Jayarajan

EP Jayarajan said that the ASHA workers' strike is unnecessary. "ASHA workers were not even given honorarium, it was a service sector. It was the LDF government that increased the salary and benefits to Rs 7,000," he said.

''This is a strike that has arisen in the minds of evil minds. They are unnecessarily troubling women by misleading them and bringing them before the secretariat. What they should do is end the strike as soon as possible. This strike is something that has arisen in the minds of some people with political objectives. Therefore, it can never be accepted'' - EP Jayarajan said.