Community Health Officers demand timely incentives, payment of dues

Pointing out that their grievances have fallen on deaf ears until now, more than 150 Community Health Officers (CHOs) gathered at the Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada recently to stage a dharna to highlight their issues pertaining to their low honorariums and delay in incentives.

The CHOs, appointed on a contract basis, said while their honorarium was ₹25,000, they receive ₹15,000 as an incentive every month. “However, we have not received incentives for the past 10 months. Earlier, too, we used to receive the incentive once in five months or so,” a CHO from Bapatla district, who did not want to be named, said.

CHOs work in Ayushman Arogya Mandir or Health and Wellness Centres, a concept introduced by the Central government under the National Health Mission in 2018 to ensure that primary health care needs reach everyone. A centre, for every 3,000 to 5,000 population, is usually staffed by a CHO, ANMs and ASHAs.

“But, when I was posted to the village near Repalle, there was no building for the clinic. We had to rent a building and start working there. For years, I paid the rent, ₹4,000, and also electricity bill out of my pocket. It was only recently that the government reiumbursed the amount. The rent amount from February is yet to reimbursed,” he added.

CHOs conduct medical camps for people in a village, identify risk factors such as BP/Sugar and prescribe medicines or refer to bigger hospitals.

Priyanka, president of CHOs’ Association, said after doctors, it was only the CHO who is authorised to prescribe medicines, albeit for small illnesses.

“More than 183 cadres are part of the National Health Mission. While all the others received a hike last year, we were the only ones who did not. At first, we asked for a hike, but now all that we want is payment of our existing honorariums on time,” she said, adding that without incentives for months, their work is getting affected, which in turn affects public health too.

The CHOs said in the first year, 2018, they received ₹40,000 every month, but the situation changed after YSRCP came to power, which rebranded the Ayushman Arogya Mandir as Dr. YSR health clinics. “Until and unless the present government decides to undo the damage, the situation is going to be very dire for us,” Ms. Priyanka said, adding that their demand for regularisation of their services is also yet to be met.