On May 22, World Health Organization (WHO) awarded India’s Accredited Social Health Activist Workers (ASHA) for their exemplary contribution to linking the general public with the health care system. In a press release, WHO said, “ASHA (which means hope in Hindi) are the more than 1 million female volunteers in India, honoured for their crucial role in linking the community with the health system, to ensure those living in rural poverty can access primary health care services, as shown throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
It added, “ASHAs worked to provide maternal care and immunization for children against vaccine-preventable diseases; community health care; treatment for hypertension and tuberculosis; and core areas of health promotion for nutrition, sanitation, and healthy living.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his delight over the award. In a tweet, he said, “Delighted that the entire team of ASHA workers have been conferred the World Health Organization Director-General’s Global Health Leaders’ Award. Congratulations to all ASHA workers. They are at the forefront of ensuring a healthy India. Their dedication and determination are admirable.”
ASHA workers were attacked by Muslim mobs during the Covid pandemic
While the world admires the ASHA workers contribution to the health care system in India, they often get attacked for doing their job. During the initial days of coronavirus pandemic, several reports surfaced where ASHA workers were attacked by Muslim mobs for merely doing their job in Muslim dominated areas.
In May 2020, a complaint was filed against quarantined members of the Muslim community for allegedly threatening the ASHA workers. Nineteen members of the Muslim community were booked in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau. The ASHA workers had asked them to follow the quarantine norms. Agitated by suggestions, the members of the Muslim community had threatened to kill them.
In April 2020, three men identified as Mehaboob, Khaleel and Zeeshan were advised by an ASHA worker to wear masks and follow guidelines issued by the health department. Irked by the suggestions, they attacked her. ASHA worker Sumayya Firdose filed an FIR against them. She said that she asked the men who were loitering around to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Enraged, the youth abused and threatened to kill her if she did not ‘mind her own business. Reportedly there were Police nearby that rushed to her rescue.
Again in April 2020, ASHA workers were attacked by members of the Muslim community in Darbhanga, Bihar. ASHA workers who had come to seek information about the residents with a travel history in the village were subjected to a brutal assault by members of the minority community. Sarees of the female ASHA workers were pulled by the miscreants while the survey form given by them was torn into pieces.
In the same month, ASHA workers and Police personnel were attacked in Panchkula, Haryana, by the members of the Muslim community. a Muslim mob of nine miscreants had attacked a police party and ASHA workers at Indira Colony in the city where they had gone for a health checkup.
In another incident in April 2020, a nurse and ASHA workers were attacked by Muslim residents in Bengaluru’s Sadiq layout for trying to carry out tests on suspected corona symptomatic patients and also for collecting information on fever and cough from the residents of the locality.