My name is Santosh Charan, and I’ve been an ASHA sahyogini (ASHA worker) for the last 14 years. I live in Kapasan, a municipality in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district, with my husband and two sons. I have been working on the ground in the village of Hapakhedi since 2004. Having started out as an Anganwadi helper, I became an ASHA sahyogini in 2008. This role involves connecting pregnant women to government healthcare facilities and policies, and assisting them throughout the course of their pregnancy. I also help run vaccination drives for infants and children in the village, along with conducting regular healthcare surveys to better understand and address the community’s health needs.
7 AM: The bus drops me at a little distance from the main village. Sometimes I take a rickshaw to the village, and other times I walk. On these walks, I frequently encounter women from the surrounding villages going to their agricultural fields, and we chat about our lives. I often ask them if they are facing any health-related issues and make a note of them.
As an ASHA sahyogini, I help people—particularly women—avail of various healthcare services. Today, I’m helping people file for Ayushman cards, which allows them access to free healthcare in Rajasthan.