42,000 ASHA workers in J'khand actively engaged in COVID-19 activities: Health ministry

New Delhi, Jul 1 () Around 42,000 ASHA workers in Jharkhand have been actively engaged in various activities related to COVID-19 since March and have proved to be an inspiration to community health workers everywhere, the government said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Union health ministry said Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers), known as 'Sahiyas', in Jharkhand have been supporting delivery of healthcare services to the last mile, especially in the tribal areas.

"The state has about 42,000 Sahiyas, supported by 2,260 'Sahiya Sathis' (ASHA facilitators), 582 block trainers, 24 district community mobilisers and a state level community processes resource centre," it said.

"Sahiyas have been actively engaged in various activities related to COVID-19 since March 2020, such as creating awareness about preventive measures of COVID-19 like frequent hand washing with soap and water, use of masks/face covers when stepping out in public spaces, following proper etiquette while coughing and sneezing," it said.

Jharkhand's ASHA workers are an inspiration to community health workers everywhere, it said.

They are also involved in contact tracing, line listing and follow-up of COVID-19 cases, the statement said.

Jharkhand launched a week-long Intensive Public Health Survey (IPHS) to identify the high risk population for COVID-19 from June 18 to 25.

On the first day of the IPHS week, community meetings at the village level and in the cities were held for planning of field level activities.

Subsequently, active house-to-house survey was conducted for three consecutive days, the statement said.

"About 42,000 Sahiyas played a crucial role in this survey. They conducted house-to-house survey of thousands of households to identify the local high risk population such as individuals with influenza like illness(ILI)/severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) symptoms, population more than 40 years of age with comorbidities, under-five children who missed vaccination as per the schedule and pregnant women due for AnteNatal Check-up (ANC)," it said.

Testing of individuals with ILI/SARI symptoms was also ensured the same day. The details of individuals identified with higher vulnerabilities are shared with the linked sub-centre and block/district health teams for active follow-up, the Union health ministry said. UZM KJ