ASAA Reflective Essay

Hence, it is recommended that the officials in the ICDS should be fully involved in ASHAs activities and their support should be provided for at every level i.e. PHCs, CHCs, District Society etc. The management support which would be provided under RCH/NHM at the Block, District & State level should be fully utilized in creating a network for support to ASHA including timely disbursement of incentives, at various levels. This support system should have full information on the number of ASHAs, quality of their output, outcomes of the Village Health and Nutrition Day, periodic health surveys of the villages to assess her impact on community etc.
As regards support from the community, periodic surveys should be conducted under NHM in every village to assess the improvement brought about by ASHA. The survey should provide the base line for monitoring the impact of health activities in the village.
She must be given power to function or identify beneficiaries and needs autonomy in providing health facility in the area where she works. She also needs money (financial support and power to use the 108 ambulance whenever she wants to refer or escort the patients for specific services. She is the health official responsible for responding to the immediate needs of women, children that too who are poor, vulnerable, sick or old. The State & District level officialdom must provide support to ASHA in all her work without any hindrance on fund release or permission. What is needed is sympathy and understanding to facilitate their work as they are temporary workers tossed by grassroots dominant power structures. As they have been appointed with low honorarium, and are controlled by local hierarchies, the ASHAs are to be given sufficient time and support to excel in their work. Awareness building among villagers will play a critical role in this respect to prepare them as good community organizers and