Vadodara: District Health Society in coordination with Deepak Foundation organized the first ever ASHA Sammelan of the State. More than 2000 ASHAs congregated for the event at Kayavaran on 23^rd Februrary, 2010 to showcase their preparedness in combating the health issues of community. State and district health officials along with local elected bodies and representatives of NGO were present for the event. The success of attaining goals under Swarnim Gujarat will depend to great extent on performance of ASHA and her linkage with functional health system. “Gujarat is one of the leading states in terms of development indicators but the human development index of the state is cause of concern. The reduction in rate of IMR, MMR and increase in percentage of institutional deliveries will be possible if ASHAs will make the health service available to the poorest of the poor” opined Dr. B.P. Itare, Chief District Health Officer.

ASHAs who have contributed in improving the health indicators of their regions were felicitated at the ceremony. One of them is Mangiben Nandubhai Rathwa from Sarvat village, Chotta Udepur. Hailing from a poor family, she has relentlessly worked for making health facility available for a population of 3000 people. The health indicators in her village has improved be it percentage of institutional deliveries, vaccination. The experience of working as health worker for an NGO has helped her in bringing about change among the people. Ushaben Tadvi ASHA of Dolariya village, Dabhoi, felt that absorption into ASHA has given a new identity to her among the family members and the community.

One of the key components of the National Rural Health Mission is to provide every village in the country with a trained female community health activist – ASHA who will work as an interface between the community and the public health system. Deepak Foundation has played a crucial role in process of training, selection of ASHAs in the entire district. “We began by identifying one women volunteer in a village and today it’s a huge force. It gives me immense pleasure to see that ASHAs have been absorbed by the State and District Health Department, opined Ms. Archana Joshi, Director, Deepak Foundation. Diary containing all the details about the roles and responsibilities of ASHAs was also launched in the event. Technical sessions on importance of maternal, infant and neonatal care, vaccination, controlling anemia, malaria etc was also held by the officials of health department. Huge stalls displaying the health programs under the National Rural Health Mission were put up at the event. The millennium goal of attaining health care for all is the new mantra for the ASHAs