Maharashtra: Four booked for assaulting Asha worker

KOLHAPUR: Four people, including a sitting member of a grampanchyat of Khatangle village, have been booked for allegedly assaulting an Asha worker after she refused to give them extra vials of a homeopathy medicine recommended by the Ayush ministry to improve immunity against Covid-19.
While one of the four suspects, Eknath Patil, has been arrested, the grampanchayat member and two others are on the run. Prashant Amrutkar, deputy superintendent of police, said, “We have deployed two teams to trace the suspects on the run. Attack on health workers will not be tolerated.”
Shobha Ashok Talekar (52) was visiting every household and distributing the medicine. As per her complaint lodged at Karveer police station, Talekar said that the health workers were given a list of the senior citizens to whom the vials had to be given free of cost. While visiting the house of a gram panchayat member, the family members demanded additional vials. When Talekar refused to give in to their demand, they assaulted her.
On learning about the incident, Asha workers from across Karveer taluka have stopped their work, which mainly includes delivering medicines and conducting door-to-door survey to identify Covid-19 suspects.
Netradipa Patil, district head of Asha workers association said, that Talekar was so badly assaulted that she bore beating marks on her body and scratches on her head. She was immediately taken to Chhatrapati Pramila Raje Hospital for treatment.
“So far, there have been seven instances of misbehaviour with Asha workers. They were either abused or assaulted but no action has been taken so far. Considering past experiences, we have taken the decision to discontinue the work till all the accused are not arrested,” said Patil.