Sahiyas to get direct credit of salaries from April 1

Ranchi: The state health department will start the sahiya payment system from April 1 in all the 24 districts after its successful pilot trial in Ranchi, health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni said on Monday. Under the new system, sahiyas will get assured income directly in their bank accounts. Jharkhand has around 40,000 sahiyas at present.
“Sahiyas are the fulcrum of health services in rural areas. They act as the bridge between health centres and patients in far-flung areas. During an interaction programme with sahiyas they told me that their payment is often delayed due to clerical issues. Therefore, we have decided to launch a new payment system where the incentive money will be transferred directly into their bank accounts,” Kulkarni said at a day-long orientation programme for civil surgeons and district program managers here.

The payment system was launched on a pilot basis in Ranchi in December last year. Kulkarni said civil surgeons in the districts will be held accountable if sahiyas do not get their payments on time.

“Prenatal and postnatal care is an essential component in healthcare service and is directly connected to infant mortality rate. The sahiyas are doing that work for the department across the state. Hence, we need to take care that their salaries are paid on time,” Kulkarni added.