Latest news with #CHOs
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
CHOs express concern over delay in receiving salaries
Community Health Officers (CHOs), who were on a strike from April 17 to May 26, have expressed concern over the delay in receiving salaries and requested the State government to initiate the process at the earliest. There are around 10,000 Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs or Village Health Clinics in the State, which are manned by the CHOs. Each clinic, which caters to a rural population of 3,000 to 5,000, is staffed by a CHO, an ANM and two or three ASHAs. The CHOs are authorised to prescribe 105 types of drugs to people, conduct 14 types of tests and provide 12 types of services to the rural public. The CHOs had been on a strike for more than a month demanding payment of pending incentives, an increase in their pay of ₹25,000, regularisation of the services of those who completed six years and resumption of PF. They had withdrawn their strike on May 26, after they were promised that a meeting with the Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav would be scheduled soon to discuss their issues. While they continue to wait for the meet, they pointed out that the government is yet to release their salaries for the past two months. 'From the meagre salary of ₹25,000 that we receive, we run both our homes and the clinics. After spending from our pockets on the rents, electricity charges at the clinic, we are not left with much to spend on any other necessities at home. If the salaries are not credited on time, it becomes extremely difficult for us to run the clinic,' said Sandeep, president of the Andhra Pradesh Midlevel Health Provider/Community Health Officers' Association. More than 4,000 of the total 10,000 clinics are being run in rented buildings, Mr. Sandeep said, adding that the rents are usually between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000. He expressed disappointment at the government's perception that they do not do enough work. 'We took part in the NCD (non-communicable diseases) survey 3.0, screened people for not just oral and breast cancers, but also cervical. This is in addition to the administrative role we play at the clinics. Despite bearing many responsibilities, the government thinks we do not do enough,' Mr. Sandeep said. He requested the government to release their salaries immediately and hoped that the meeting is scheduled soon.
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Karnataka's Health Department extends Gruha Arogya scheme across State
For early detection and management of non-communicable diseases (NCD) among people in rural areas, Karnataka's Health Department has now extended the Gruha Arogya (doorstep healthcare) scheme across the State. The scheme that was formally launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on October 24 last year was initially piloted in Kolar district, where dedicated health teams conducted door-to-door screening for major NCDs. Following its success, the initiative is now being scaled up to all districts, announced Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday. Major NCDs During the pilot project, screening was conducted for major NCDs, including Diabetes, Hypertension, three common cancers - Oral, Breast and Cervical cancer (the latter two for females) in individuals aged 30 years and above. Now, ASHA workers will conduct door-to-door visits to raise awareness about NCDs and facilitate health check-ups for individuals above 30 at Ayushman Health and Wellness Centres. Community Health Officers (CHOs) will conduct screenings for 14 NCDs, including hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, and record the data on the NCD portal. Free medication and regular follow-up care will be provided at the nearest Ayushman Health and Wellness centres to those diagnosed, the Minister said. Apart from Diabetes, Hypertension, Oral Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, the other NCDs to be covered under the scheme include Diabetic Foot, Mental Health Disorders, Neurological Disorders, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Diabetic Retinopathy, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Anemia (19-29 yrs). Five houses a day Srinivas G., State Deputy Director (Non-Communicable Diseases) said ASHA workers will visit the households under their jurisdiction on all working days of the week (excluding State-declared holidays), covering approximately four to five houses per day. During these visits, they will register all members of the household in the ASHA application on the NCD portal. The CHOs, who will provide screening, diagnosis, management, and treatment of all NCDs for individuals aged 30 years and above, will refer the suspected cases and patients with diabetes for confirmation through tele-consultation. 'CHOs will conduct screening, management and treatment services for walk-in patients at Ayushman Health Centres every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Wednesdays and Fridays, CHOs will conduct outreach activities and organise NCD screening camps in coordination with ASHA workers,' he said. 'Patients under treatment will receive regular follow-up, including re-examinations and necessary support for a period of up to two months,' he added.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Community Health Officers strike in AP enters 25th day
The Andhra Pradesh Mid-level Health Providers/Community Health Officers Association (APMCA) workers indefinite strike across the State has entered 25th day, escalating their demands for government intervention. The union leaders have submitted a representation to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and are waiting for resolution of their long-standing issues. Speaking to The Hindu, APMCA president N. Niranjan said, 'Under National Health Mission (NHM), nearly 23,000 employees, including 10,000 Community Health Officers (CHOs), are working in AP. The CHOs have not received 23% enhancement on par with other NHM employees. Also, regularisation of services is pending for those who completed six years of service.' Earlier, when we staged a protest in November 2023, Special Chief Secretary for Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare M.T. Krishna Babu had assured to resolve our issues, Mr. Niranjan said while adding that even though he remained in the same position after the change of government, there was no announcement till now in the favour of CHOs. The CHOs play a vital role in the Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) programme, which is a key component of the Ayushman Bharat initiative. They are mid-level service providers who deliver comprehensive primary health care services at the AAMs, which are essentially upgraded Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs). The CHOs have been on a strike across the State since April 10. In Prakasam district, the CHOs took out a huge rally and staged an innovative protest by performing yoga asanas at Church Centre in Ongole on Friday. M. Rajesh, vice president of APMCA and a CHO from Dornala mandal in the district, demanded the revival of EPFO for their job security.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Systemic failures, mental harassment and disregard by officials behind CHO's suicide'
Raipur: The alleged suicide of a woman Community Health Officer (CHO) posted at Ayushman Arogya Mandir Jangalpur in the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan district on Thursday has sparked a row over the safety of female CHOs serving in rural areas of the state under the National Health Mission. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A day after the tragic incident, the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Samudaik Swasthya Adhikari Prakosth alleged that the dedicated woman CHO, Arti Yadav, took her own life due to mental harassment by officials, terming the tragedy a failure of the system. According to Prakosth president Prafull Kumar, Arti Yadav was a mother to a one-year-old child. A month after losing her husband in an accident, her plea for leave was allegedly rejected. Away from her home in Durg, she continued to serve alone at the health centre, single-handedly managing numerous responsibilities without any colleagues or support, Kumar said. He further alleged that a month's salary, three months of performance-based incentives, and funds for the centre were withheld. Attempts for transfer were unsuccessful due to alleged contractual exploitation, and the senior health officer threatening to harm her confidential report (CR), he added. The recently issued Terms of Reference (TOR) reportedly placed the entire burden on her, demanding that she perform the work of four people alone. The threat of salary deduction two to three days prior allegedly shattered her last hope, he added. "This is not an isolated incident. In the last three years, five CHOs reportedly lost their lives due to work pressure," stated the Prakosth. The Prakosth has demanded appropriate workload, mental health support, and an end to contractual exploitation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, CMHO Dr Ashish Sharma told TOI that depression might have been the reason for the suicide. "After her husband's death, she applied for leave twice, and I approved it. I called her three to four days ago to ask if she wanted another extension. Despite the general cancellation of leave due to ongoing 'Susashan Tihar' (Good Governance Festival) in state, I approved her leave. She was a sincere staff member," the CMHO said. The Prakosth has been continuously striving for the regularisation and transfer of CHOs, along with various other demands. The number of alleged cases of harassment of female health workers across the state has increased to 25, regarding which the Prakosth has sent letters to health minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, minister of women and child development Laxmi Rajwade, and several other senior officials. Rajwade reportedly sent a letter to the health minister to fulfill the demands but no action has been seen on the ground so far. Prafull stated that the 3,500 contractual CHOs in the state are agitated, and if govt does not take action in time, they will launch a state-wide agitation. "90% of the CHOs are women, and most of them are young and unmarried. They are being forced not to leave their headquarters even during the night. Anti-social elements in the locality are trying to take undue advantage of this. We demand that women CHOs be posted within an eight-kilometre radius of their homes for their safety," Prafull told TOI while sharing copies of complaints and FIRs lodged with the police regarding incidents of misbehaviour with female CHOs.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
CHOs demand fair deal, strike continues in State
Disappointment and dissatisfaction with work for a long time have led to many community health officers (CHOs), who play a key role in delivering a wide range of health services to people at the grasroot level, striking their work indefinitely in the State. Since April 24, CHOs have been organising protests in all district headquarters demanding completion of construction of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, also called Health and Wellness Centres or Village Health Clinics (VHCs), and payment of the performance-based incentive of ₹15,000, pending for eight months, regularisation of their services of those who completed six years, resumption of PF, and an increase in their current pay of ₹25,000. Launched in 2018 under the National Health Mission programme of the Centre, the concept of having an Ayushman Arogya Mandir or VHC for every 3,000-5,000 population was envisaged to deliver expanded range of services and to ensure that they reach everyone. It is the nearest clinic to the people in villages. All CHOs report to medical officers in primary health centres (PHCs). Usually, a VHC is staffed by a CHO, an ANM and two or three ASHAs. While there are 1,77,243 functional Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in the country, there are around 10,000 in the State, the construction of which is reportedly incomplete in 80% of the cases. Some centres do not have a building at all, say the CHOs. 'When we were posted to villages, many of us had to rent a building to run the services. We are bearing the expenditure on rents, ranging between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000. On top of that, we have to spend from our pockets on eletrictity charges, around ₹500-₹700 and upkeep of the premises,' says a CHO from NTR district, who came to take part in the protest at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada. She adds that most of her income of ₹25,000 is spent on running the clinic. 'Should we worry about running our houses or running the clinics,' she asks. Moreover, the CHOs have not received their pay for April. In the State, the first batch of CHOs, all of whom BSc Nursing or MSc Nursing holders, were recruited in 2019 on a contractual basis. There is no certainty regarding regularisation of their services, they say, adding that they do not have monetary benefits such as Dearness Allowance or transport charges for their field work. President of the A.P. Midlevel Health Provider/Community Health Officers' Association Sandeep said there has been a false narrative against CHOs that many of them are found absent during duty hours. 'While our duty hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., our days start at 7 a.m. to screen villagers, who go to work early, for various non-communicable diseases as part of surveys,' Mr. Sandeep said. The CHOs also pointed out that after they begun their protest, the government has asked them to be on duty until 8 p.m., so as to remain available to people in the event of an emergency. The CHOs, most of whom are women, are opposing this move too, citing security reasons. When asked about their concerns, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner G. Veerapandian said the government has addressed a few demands and requested them to resume duties. He said A.P. is paying the highest remuneration to CHOs in the country. Regarding rents, he said the CHOs are not submitting owners' bank account details for releasing the rent amount. 'There will be no problem in releasing rent,' he said, noting that there has been no disruption in delivery of services to people as, in their absence, District Medical and Health Officers have been instructed to keep VHCs open through ANMs and ASHAs. The CHOs said they are open for talks with the government and Health Minister.
