28th Feb 2025

Kerala’s public health system, the pride of the state, stands on the labours of many groups of people who are neither paid well nor recognized enough. The ASHA workers form one such important group who reach out to Kerala’ those sections of the lower middle class and the poor sections who cannot afford expensive private care. They are our vital health support structure in the event of pandemics and natural disasters, too. In Kerala, in the past decade we have known at least in two moments of crisis – the floods of 2018 and the pandemic – how crucial this force is in containing disease and keeping up the morale of people even in the remotest locations. As Kerala’s public health system gears up for further challenges, the workloads of these workers will only increase; the current workloads they carry, of carrying out numerous health surveys is already huge indeed.

Yet it is disappointing to see that authorities do not recognize the vital role that they play in keeping Malayali society healthy. The ASHA workers who are on strike since more than two weeks now have been met with ridicule and insult quite unnecessarily. Their honoraria are indeed abysmally low. It is only fair that given their huge workloads, a fair compensation if offered. If the only way out is to persuade the Central government to increase it, then the Kerala government should take the lead immediately to do this, and not put the responsibility on the striking workers. It is noteworthy that the government could have initiated such a move much earlier too. Public health is too precious an achievement for any government to toy with.

As medical professionals, we call upon the Kerala government to initiate talks with the striking ASHA workers and do everything possible to relieve their distress earliest.

Dr. A.K.Jayasree
Dept. of Community Medicine
Govt.Medical College
Kannur.

Dr.K.R.Antony
Public Heath Consultant
Kochi

Dr.E Divakaran
Director
Palliative Care Institute
Thrissur

Dr.P.K Balakrishnan
Neurosurgeon
Kottayam

Dr.Jayakrishnan T
Dept. of Community Medicine
KMCT Medical College
Kozhikode

Dr. Rajan I
Psychiatrist

Dr. Sanitha Sathyan
Opthalmologist

Dr Jobinse Jose
Asst.Professor
Dept. of Community Medicine
JMMCRI
Thrissur

Dr. Harish Tharayil
Psychiatrist
Govt.Medical College
Kozhikode

Dr. Brahmaputhran C K
Daya Hospital
Thrissur 680022

Dr. K Beena
Pathologist
Quality Laboratory ,
Palakkad

Dr. Sreedevi
Associate Professor
Dept. of Community Medicine
Govt.Medical College Palakkad.

Dr. V. K Abdul Azeez
Manging Director
Daya Hospital
Thrissur 680 022

Dr.Asha Prabhakaran
Senior Consultant in Paediatrics
Moulana Hospital
Perinthalmanna

Dr. Ajithkumar G
General Practioner
Kallambalam

Dr. Sheethal CM
Consultant Radiologist.

Dr.K.V. Deepa
Anaesthesiologist
Kozhikode

Dr. Praseeda Chandran
Dept. of Community Medicine
Kannur Medical College.

Dr. Anandan K. R.
Professor,
MES medical college,
Perinthalmanna

Dr.Asma Rahim
Dept of community medicine
GMC. Kozhikode.

Dr: Dr Kanniyan Binub
Professor of Community Medicine
Malabar Medical College Hospital and Research Center

Dr. Aswin Surjith
Physician
Kochi

Dr. Prabir
Independant
Kolkotha

Dr. Purushothaman
Professor in Paediatrics
MES Medical College
Perinthalmanna

Dr. Rajendran.K
M.O.H, Muscat

Dr. Gaurav P Sankar
Junior consultant
Psychiatry.
Mental Health Centre
Kozhikode

Dr. Vijayakumar K,
Cardiac surgeon.
Coiambathore

Dr Suresh Kumar
Institute of Palliative Medicine
Kozhikode

Dr.E.P Mohanan
ENT Surgeon
Sulthan Bathery

Dr. Mohan Mammunni
Paediatrician
Malappuram

Dr.Suresh Babu R
Nephrologist
Ernakulam

Dr M Muraleedharan,
Paediatrician, Vadakara

Dr Arun N M
Consultant Physician
Quality Clinic Palakkad

Dr. Sahir
Oncosurgeon
Govt.Medical College
Thiissur

Dr. Prince
Secretary
Chikitsaneethi
Thrissur – 1

Dr Jacob John
Neurosurgeon
& Director
Medical Services,
Ashtamudi Hospital and Trauma Care Centre,
Kollam

Dr Praveen Dharmaratnam
Homeopath
ABHAYA HOMEOPATHY RESEARCH CENTRE
CHENGANANAD
ALUVA

Dr.V.J.Padmanabhan
Sakalyam Homoeopathic clinic
Kuzhokkattussery.p.o,
Thrissur

Dr.Jayram I.V
Paediatrician
Thrissur

Dr. Shiju Wills
Emergency Physcian
Daya Hospital
Thrissur 22