Guwahati, July 8,2008

To strenghten the grass route community heath, The union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss today singed the MOU of Emergency Health service in remotest of Assam state during the first ever convention of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) in Guwahati

With the declaration, Assam becomes the forth in the country to initiate the community health system. The ASHA project in the state is envisaged with the motto to bridge between community and health system for universal immunisation, sterilisation,sanitation, safe delivery, newborn care, prevention of communicable diseases, improve nutrition.Its being performed by more than 26, 225 trained workers in the 27 districts of the state. The guideline shows one ASHA worker per 10,000 villagers.

“I am satisfied with the progress that the state had made to bring the health related issues to the grass route level. Its an endeavour to teach them and to guide them to a healthy future. With today’s MOU, the emergency system of the village level is increased to the highest possible standard”, announced Ramadoss during the convention.

While Assam Health minister Dr. Himanta Sarma added to the view that Assam is becoming the monitoring state of the region and with ASHA working very smoothly, the state is expecting the healthiest future in the village level.

Maloti Rabha, who was one of the thousand ASHA workers also expressed that ASHA helps the villages of the state to grow hygienic. “It was truly un hygienic and un aware to the villagers of the state till this project reached them and with high quality training we are now equipped with the improper managements of the health sector of the villages but also with the psychological status of the state”, she added.

The state Govt. also declares to invest its attention tot eh health sector more and more.The region has seen 250 per cent increase in investment in health sector in last three years, said by the chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi while he disclosed, ” A new emergency system of the immediate action class with highly modified Ambulance is also been distributed to t centres along with mobile phones to auxiliary nursing midwives during the convention. The ambulances will be available by a toll free no. of 108″.

Initially ASHA was meant for 10 high-focus states, with weak health indicators but later on the scheme was approved for N-E states.