Bihar to Appoint 27,375 New ASHA Workers and Facilitators in Next Three Months

Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey has recently announced that 27,375 new ASHA workers and facilitators will be appointed in the state in the next three months. These include 21,009 ASHA workers in rural areas, 5,316 in urban areas and 1,050 ASHA facilitators. The objective of this important decision is to make health services more accessible and effective.

At present, 91,281 ASHA workers, 4,361 ASHA facilitators and 5,111 Mamta workers are working in the state. All of them are playing an important role in the spread of maternal and child health, vaccination, nutrition and other primary health services.

This big change came after the year 2005

It will be more effective to understand this journey of health services through data. In the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) conducted in the year 2005-06, the condition of the health system of Bihar was very weak. • Only 18.7 percent of pregnant women had undergone antenatal check-up (ANC) in the first trimester.

• The percentage of institutional deliveries was only 19.9 percent.

• NFHS-5 and latest HMIS data in the year 2019-20 tell a different story.

• Now 52.9 percent of women are taking ANC services in the first trimester.

• According to HMIS, 77 percent of women are taking early ANC services.

• About 85 percent of pregnant women are getting antenatal ANC check-up four times.

• 97 percent of women are getting registered during pregnancy.

• In the year 2005-06, the percentage of institutional deliveries in the country was only 19.9 percent.

• According to NFHS-5 in the year 2019-20, the figure of institutional deliveries reached 76.2 percent.

This change has been possible not only by schemes but also by the dedication of the ASHA workers working on the ground as well as the state government. They not only brought health information to remote areas but also made women aware of safe delivery in the hospital, timely vaccination and newborn care.

Government strategy and future direction

The Bihar government is now strengthening the ASHA network to give further impetus to this reform. Health Minister Mangal Pandey has made it clear that the process of new appointments will be done through gram sabhas and municipal bodies so that the selection is according to local needs. At present, this journey from the year 2005 to the year 2025 is taking Bihar to new heights in the field of health services.