Ashas in India – The Unsung Corona Warriors
Archana Shrivastava, Arun Kumar Srivastava
This case study outlines the struggle that Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) encountered at the grassroots level in India while combating the spread of the corona virus. Due to misinformation and a lack of specific knowledge, rural communities began to mistrust government workers attempting to track the spread of the pandemic, resulting in instances of physical and verbal abuse. The impact on many ASHAs, who provided a vital frontline health service, was very negative. A communication strategy had to be adopted to avoid a worsening situation. Seema Barma (Block ASHA coordinator) had the job of providing a sustainable solution for managing the uncertainty in an effective manner and to rebuild public trust in authorities, and health workers including ASHAs. Students will learn how to formulate an effective communication strategy for dealing with such a pandemic crisis situation in a developing nation with specific reference to India. © 2022 Neilson Journals Publishing.
Published in: Journal of Organizational Behaviour Education, Vol. 15, Pg. 37 - 46