E-Cycles as pathway to Mobility Empowerment for ASHA Health Workers

Abstract

NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) was introduced with an objective to strengthen the public health care services. The core strategy of NRHM is provide a trained female community health representative i.e. ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) in every settlement of the country whose main aim would be to create awareness, provide counselling services to women and mobilise community members to avail available health care services. While working with the community in difficult terrain and distant located places, ASHA workers face many challenges like delay in getting incentives, lack of transport facilities, expensive transport fares etc. Mobility issue has been identified by many studies as the biggest hurdle faced by these health workers in implementing the services under NRHM (National Rural Health Mission). The objective of writing this paper is to explore the opportunities for introducing electric cycles as a solution to address the mobility challenges faced by ASHA workers. Secondary Research method was used for this study. Findings of the study shows that there is an impending requirement of e-cycles in India for ASHA works. E-cycles would increase the livelihood options and would also ensure availability of hurdle free mobility services for these health workers who work in distant and difficult terrain. Further there is a possibility of increasing overall household earnings too. Suitable recommendation have been provide to ensure that programmes are introduced at a national level to promote e-cycles.