ABSTRACT
Background: ASHAs were appointed by NRHM to provide preventive, promotive and curative healthcare services in the rural including tribal villages in Meghalaya. However, their social acceptance and job satisfaction remain less studied. Hence our study aimed at it.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 140 ASHAs from randomly sampled 142 villages across 15 PHCs in five districts. To collect data, we used a semi-structured back-translated and validated questionnaire consisting socio-demographic profile of ASHAs, level of perceived social acceptance and job satisfaction. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22.0.Results: Mean and median age of ASHAs were 33.29 and 32.00 years respectively. Over 63% belonged to Garo tribes, 67% studied high school, and 91% married. Village elders selected 76% of ASHAs, and 81% were as ASHAs for at least eight years. About 86% were trained in a minimum of three modules and all found their training effective. While 92% had the medical kit always filled, 100% had registers updated, and 94.3% facilitated VHND and FHD meetings. About 97% accompanied the pregnant women, 96.4% attended PHC meetings regularly and 83.6% organized VHSNC meeting. Though 93.5% reported a high acceptance of ASHAs' services, social acceptance of ASHAs was rather to some extent for 36.4%. Almost 52% of ASHAs were dissatisfied with job and 61% were unhappy with their performance-based remuneration.Conclusions: Community must be aware of ASHAs’ role, and their job satisfaction has to be increased with a corresponding increase in incentives while developing strategies to ease the process of payments.
ABSTRACT
Background: Our aim was to study the socio demographic determinants of ASHA workers, to study the work profile of the ASHA workers, to assess the knowledge, awareness and practice of their roles and responsibilities in the delivery of health care services and to suggest specific recommendations on the ASHA scheme based on the study findings.Methods: The type of study was a cross sectional study, placed at Khordha district in Odisha. Time Period of this study was March to June 2018. 1218 ASHAs were finally included in the study. On the days of the monthly sector / block level meetings with ASHA workers they were appraised and accordingly a predesigned, pretested questionnaire was implemented to them.Results: Nearly 93% of ASHA workers were trained with module 1 to 5, first AID and DOTs training. Refresher training was given to 34% of ASHA workers, FTD/Malaria training was given to 88.4% of ASHA workers. 1218 (100%) ASHA’s helped in immunization. Majority of them 1199 (98.4%) accompanied delivery cases and 1198 (98.3%) were aware about family planning activities.Conclusions: Activities of ASHA’s should be increased with a corresponding increase in incentives, so that she can get up to Rs. 10000-15000 per month. IEC/BCC skills to ASHA may be built by short course certification. Other services like strengthening the role of ASHA on promotive and preventive health care particularly age at marriage, nutrition, home based care delay in first child birth and spacing between 1st and 2nd birth.