By Shrimansi Kaushik
Copyright deccanchronicle
Hyderabad: Hundreds of Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANMs) from across Telangana staged a protest in front of the health commissioner’s office on Monday, demanding a reduction in workload and the withdrawal of mandatory online reporting tasks, which they say are pushing them to exhaustion.Leading the protest, AITUC state deputy general secretary M. Narasimha said that the introduction of multiple mobile apps had severely burdened ANMs, officially designated as MPHA(F), who already shoulder extensive responsibilities under the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department. “ANMs were recruited to monitor rural health conditions, prevent disease outbreaks, raise awareness about preventive care, and administer vaccinations to children. However, since 2016, online tasks have been introduced, and what began with one or two mobile apps has now increased to nearly 14 different mobile apps,” he said. He said ANMs are required to enter 20-30 columns of data in apps such as U-WIN, NCD, MCH-Kit, IDSP, TB Mukt Bharat, and Sickle Cell. “In some cases, such as the NCD app, the portal opens only between 11 pm and 1 am. How can health workers manage under such conditions?” he asked. The NCD work, he added, requires screening each individual and uploading complete details, which takes about 30 minutes per person. With a target of covering 35 per cent of the population, ANMs are struggling with both online and offline workloads. Narasimha further said that ANMs are now developing serious health issues, including blood pressure fluctuations, diabetes, spondylitis, vision loss, and even mental health problems, due to the relentless pressure. The protesters expressed disappointment over the Health Commissioner’s response. “Instead of hearing their grievances, the Commissioner simply presented her own views and left. This is utter neglect by senior officials who are duty-bound to address these issues,” Narasimha said, adding that the matter would be escalated to the Health Minister and higher authorities. The ANMs warned that if their demands are ignored, they might be forced to serve a notice of service withdrawal in the near future.
