THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Finance Department has approved Rs 26.11 crores to clear pending salaries, covering two months' arrears for ASHA workers before the Christmas season. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden faced by these essential healthcare workers.

Under the National Health Mission, the state employs 26,125 ASHA workers, responsible for various crucial healthcare tasks. These duties encompass gathering data on lifestyle diseases in people above 30 years, ensuring immunization for children up to 5 years old supporting pregnant women and aiding inpatient care. Additionally, they contribute one or two days a month at health centers within their designated local wards.

Each ASHA worker earns a monthly salary of Rs 10,000, inclusive of a state gratuity of Rs 6,000, a central incentive of Rs 2,000 and an extra incentive for specific assignments. Despite their extensive responsibilities, there is no allowance provided including for the utilization of mobile phones for data collection.

The state government confirmed that the pending arrears resulted from the delayed allocation of funds from the central authority stretching over eight months. Moving forward, an additional Rs 1,000 sanctioned by the state will be disbursed to ASHA workers starting from December compensating for the month of November.