Meghalaya ASHA Workers Receive 7,419 Tablets for Improved Healthcare Management

The tablets are preloaded with necessary applications tailored to assist ASHAs in their daily tasks, streamlining data uploads and ensuring more efficient healthcare management.

The Health Department has distributed mobile tablets to ASHA workers and facilitators in Meghalaya, a move sanctioned with INR 15 Cr under the National Health Mission's (NHM) ASHA program.

The tablets are preloaded with necessary applications tailored to assist ASHAs in their daily tasks, streamlining data uploads and ensuring more efficient healthcare management.

This initiative, led by the NHM, provided 7,084 tablets to ASHAs and 335 tablets to ASHA Facilitators, aiming to improve healthcare services by digitizing data collection and reporting.

Addressing the gathering at the event, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the move to provide mobile tablets to the ASHA workers and facilitators was to make them more productive and improve the quality of services they provide.

The minister further stated that the ASHA workers are helping the government by providing information necessary to formulate health programs and policies.

At the event, Minister Lyngdoh urged the ASHA workers and facilitators to leverage these tablets to enhance their efficiency. She further highlighted that the tablets would enable them to collect data from their door-to-door visits and provide valuable feedback to refine the execution of health programs.

She also encouraged them to download key applications from the Health Department, including the MOTHER app and the immunization app.

In her remarks, Lyngdoh stated, “By providing tablets to ASHA workers and facilitators, we are empowering them to work more efficiently and effectively, which will ultimately improve health outcomes in rural areas.”

A senior official noted that the tablets are expected to keep ASHA workers updated with the latest healthcare information and guidelines.

The official further indicated that the initiative would facilitate access to digital platforms and tools, such as electronic health records, enhancing data collection, reporting, and decision-making.

Additionally, the tablets will support online training and capacity-building efforts, thus improving skills and knowledge.

The initiative is also anticipated to foster real-time communication and collaboration among ASHA workers, facilitators, and other healthcare professionals.

Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Sampath Kumar, also addressed the gathering, reinforcing the initiative’s significance.

He noted that Meghalaya is among the first states to develop an ASHA Payment App. This app allows ASHAs to claim their incentives weekly, reducing delays in payment and ensuring timely compensation.

Moreover, Health Minister Lyngdoh urged the ASHA workers to secure their devices with passwords to prevent data misuse.

She also encouraged them to utilize the tablets for community education, such as showing health-related videos to enhance public awareness.

The distribution is part of a broader effort to leverage digital technology for better health outcomes in the state.