ASHA worker attempts suicide after being abused

Mysuru: An Asha health worker in Mysuru allegedly attempted suicide after she was verbally abused by a gram panchayat worker for going to Srirangpatna taluk in Mandya district to home quarantine a person.

According to sources, a person with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) who was admitted at a nursing home in Mysuru tested positive for Covid-19. Following that, all the patients admitted to that nursing home have been quarantined.

Based on the information from a gram panchayat worker, one person from Huralikyathanhalli village who was admitted at that nursing home was also to be home quarantined. Asha worker Meenakshi went to his house to help him get into quarantine.

However, things took a turn when the home-quarantined person called up gram panchayat worker and questioned why he gave his (the patient) information to the Asha worker and got into an argument with him. This led to the alleged incident of the gram panchayat worker abusing Meenakshi.

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy who visited the Asha worker at a hospital in Mysuru, where she is admitted, said she is currently in ICU.

The health worker has reportedly expressed fear about going back to her village. Though the state has passed an ordinance to punish those who attack health workers with three years imprisonment and Rs 50,000 fine, Meenakshi is yet to get any assistance from the government, Kumaraswamy alleged.

A complaint in this regard has been filed in Arakere police station.