Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme for Health Care Workers Fighting COVID-19 was launched to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs.50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health care providers and the same has been extended to ASHA as well as Anganwadi Workers who may have been in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and may be at risk of being impacted by this subject to fulfillment of the certain conditions.
Public Health and Hospitals being a State Subject, all the administrative and personnel matters of health human resource lie with the respective State Government/UT Administration.Under National Health Mission (NHM) support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including support for remuneration of health human resources including incentives for ASHA workers, based on the requirements posed by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) subject to availability of resources. Under National Health Mission, ASHAs are envisaged to be community health volunteer and are entitled to task/activity based incentives.
In FY 2018-19 the Union Cabinet approved the revised amount of routine recurrent incentive for ASHAs from Rs.1000/month to Rs.2000/month. States /UTs have been requested to continue full payment of the existing routine & recurring incentive of Rs. 2000/- per month to ASHA during COVID-19 to ensure delivery of healthcare services during the pandemic. Additionally, performance-based incentives is provided for a varied set of activities under various National Health Programmes. After the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme with operationalisation of Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), ASHAs are now additionally eligible for Team Based Incentives (TBIs) along with ANMs based on monitored performance indicators (up to Rs.1000 per month).
With effect from 01.10.2018, Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs at main AWCs from ₹ 3,000/- to ₹ 4,500/- per month; AWWs at mini-AWCs from ₹ 2,250/- to ₹ 3,500/- per month; AWHs from ₹ 1,500/- to ₹ 2,250/- per month; and introduced performance linked incentive of ₹ 250/- per month to AWHs effective from 1st October, 2018. Further, Performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- to AWWs has also been approved w.e.f. 1st April, 2021 under POSHAN Abhiyaan.
States/UTs have been asked to ensure provision of safety tools like masks, gloves, soaps and sanitizers etc. for ASHAs as well as Anganwadi Workers.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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