SHILLONG, Dec 30(NNN): ASHA workers in Meghalaya can raise their claims directly through their smartphones, laptops, or desktops or with the help of the PHC accountants and process it online to the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM). The ANM in turn will submit it to medical officers.
Medical officers after verification will submit it to the block accountant, the block accountant to the district and the district to the state for final payment directly to the account of the concerned ASHA worker. This whole process is online and takes less than a week.
Faced with several hardships previously due to the delay in payments several of the ASHA workers have expressed their relief and satisfaction with the new system in place.
According to an ASHA under Jorgin village, Ushalinda Marak, “Earlier all the paperwork had to be done manually. Just to get our remuneration, we had to spend significant time and money in filling up physical forms and travelling to submit them. It was very inconvenient. But now through this new app, we do not have to undergo such hardships and need to simply use our mobile phones to raise a claim and monitor the process”.
Not only has it eased the pain of the ASHAs but ANM, PHC, T Syiem, also state that since this app was launched, even their work of monitoring and approval has become much easier. “Just a few clicks and we are done”; she said.
ASHAs are now paid on a weekly basis and regularly with no delay. Since the launch, a total payment of Rs. 9.14 crores was made to the ASHAs across the state in a timely manner within the first few months of the launch.
An ASHA worker under Pahamrimai Village – Tina Mary Sohkhlet said that before the App was introduced, all their previous payments were pending, it became difficult for them to continue their job as an ASHA worker. “But now that we have this online payment app, things have changed for the better and we are motivated and excited to provide our service,” cited Sohkhlet.
