Ashas flag excessive digital workload under Samasta app

Mangaluru: Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha) workers in Dakshina Kannada district have complained that the ‘Samasta’ digital health information system under the health and family welfare dept is imposing excessive digital workload, forcing them to spend hours on data entry in addition to home visits, prenatal care, and health awareness activities.

They said this is affecting the quality of healthcare services. The Samasta app enables Asha workers to conduct household health censuses, track maternal and child health, manage non-communicable diseases, and link health services directly to incentive payments.

Raising concerns over increased digital workload, delays in incentive payments, and lack of job security, Asha workers and the district unit of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) submitted a memorandum to district health officer (DHO) Dr HR Thimmaiah on Saturday, May 30. Through the DHO, the memorandum was also sent to the chief minister, health and family welfare minister, and senior health dept officials.

BMS Dakshina Kannada district president and advocate Anil Kumar U said that despite Asha workers risking their lives during crises like the Covid-19 pandemic, they are not receiving due respect, security, and justice. He demanded withdrawal of the additional pressure from the Samasta app, timely payment of incentives, and immediate revision of the incentive amount, which has not been increased for four years.

In the memorandum, Asha workers also demanded the formation of a state-level committee to resolve various issues affecting them.